Classic “Catch 22” for Gulf Coast Fishermen: Price and Perception
Rusty Gaude, a fisheries expert with LSU's Sea Grant program.
The late summer-fall white shrimping season along the Gulf of Mexico coast normally gets off to a slow start but quickly picks up in response to demand for the premium wild caught shrimp from groceries, restaurants and consumers across America. This year’s shrimp catching season is off to a weaker than usual start … all as the result of perceptions brought on by BP’s massive oil spill in the Gulf.
With the season just underway, catches are smaller than usual, not influenced directly by the oil spill as much as by fresh water diversions from the Mississippi River in attempts to push the toxic heavy crude oil away from fertile shrimp and oyster fishing regions. Fishermen are finding that the shrimp have moved from the usual fishing grounds.
But, there’s a twist this year – unlike previous shrimping seasons, many Louisiana fishermen are not taking to the waters out of fear of losing even more money. The price of fresh wild caught Gulf shrimp has fallen dramatically … less than one-half what it was just six weeks ago. Seafood buyers blame weak consumer demand for Gulf seafood over fears – however inaccurate – that it might be tainted by oil.
Even though Gulf seafood of all kinds is tested more thoroughly today than any other food in America – and certainly tested by stricter standards than seafood flooding U.S. markets from Asian and South American sources – an inaccurate perception persists because of what happened at BP’s oil spill.
Rusty Gaude, a fisheries expert with Louisiana State University’s Sea Grant program, is not particularly concerned by what he sees. White Gulf shrimp are growing healthily, he says, and he predicts a good harvest.
The big question, however, is the price – if it remains at rock bottom, fishermen will not be able to afford to even take their boats out, regardless of how big the shrimp become.
Category: Chefs & Experts
