The shrimping industry

[Barefootin]

So, here I am on the eve of the MS shrimping season fearing the end of yet another American industry.
This is about our government's preoccupation with preserving global free trade over the preservation of our own industries and jobs.
The US market is flooded with cheap farm raised shrimp imported from favored trade countries such as China.
Our shrimping industry that has already been decimated by these imports has been dealt a potential knock out blow from fuel costs. This is a non issue for most of our global competitors who import their inexpensive oil from their friends such as Venezuela.
The bottom line is; our government does not care, but we can.
Lets make sure we purchase domestic wild shrimp; whether from retailers or restaurants - buy American.

[Captain Michael Buffington]

I feel your pain, but I have no sympathy for the shrimpers. They are very similar to longliners imho. Your bycatch % to shrimp is rediculous. Not only do shrimpers decimate the natural shrimp population, they are indescriminate. They decimate everything in their path: snapper, ribbons, pinfish, croakers, threadfins, everything in their path. They also take out the contours of the bottom by dragging tickler chains at the base of the trawl over the bottom. I hate it for you man, but that would be a step in the right direction imho.
Mike

[teddyp]

I agree with you but the problem is that the US shrimpers' are taking large payouts from the taxed imported shrimp. It is more cost effective for them to stay at the dock. If you want local shrimp you're going to have to move south and catch them yourself. It's Sad.

[Captain Michael Buffington]

I agree with you but the problem is that the US shrimpers' are taking large payouts from the taxed imported shrimp. It is more cost effective for them to stay at the dock. If you want local shrimp you're going to have to move south and catch them yourself. It's Sad.

Whats sad about it? I'm sorry for them losing their livelyhoods, but happy for the bycatch that keeps on swimming. A shrimp is a shrimp, whether it is farm raised or wild caught...
Mike

[seapower]

Barefoot, we don't all feel that way. I commercial fished for 18 yrs, yes I shrimped too. Just tried to make an honest living for my family, feed them, put clothes on their backs, send them to school, medical care, you know while not letting them know how much money you didn't have. Guess what, when electricity is produced with coal generation smoke is put into the atmosphere, don't hear anyone complaining about that sitting in the air conditioning. When we're heading offshore with our outboard rigs we're introducing engine exhaust below the surface of the water. Guess everyone ought to be made to fish only while under sail. It's not a p[erfect world. Yes there are problems with bycatch in any fishery. It boils down to the fact that this is just one more spoke out of the wheel, for the America I was raised up in. It's all coming down to oversea's production and computer wanna-be's here at home. Good luck, hang on as long as you can!!!!

[hubris 1]

how come forrest gump made so much money?

[Huntersun]

Whats sad about it? I'm sorry for them losing their livelyhoods, but happy for the bycatch that keeps on swimming. A shrimp is a shrimp, whether it is farm raised or wild caught...
Mike

I respectfully disagree with this statement, you might want to do some research on what farm raised shrimp are fed. I will not buy any farm raised/imported seafood period........

In my area the locals are about done, the loss of this industry
is sad but it's no surprise. Over 95% of the seafood sold in the US is imported/farm raised with no oversight as to what goes into there product.

Read more here: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01660.html

And no I'm not a commercial........

[Barefootin]

First, I would like to apologize for giving the impression that I am a commercial shrimper - I am not. I am just a sportfisherman like many on this forum although I live in a shrimping town and have some friends and business associates that are shrimpers.
Apparently there is much that many folks do not know about shrimping in MS. Shrimpers can work only certain areas that the DMR deems fit for trawling, and of course they avoid all natural and man made reefs, oyster beds and wrecks for obvious reasons. In fact our shrimp season was postponed 2 weeks this year due to salt levels and water temperature caused by a cooler and drier than average late spring.
The bycatch of flounder, baitfish, crabs, etc. are not wasted as implied.
I have fished many areas in the states and beleive me the MS Sound, inshore & offshore are some of the most bountiful areas I have witnessed. These areas are a living nursery for all manner of Gulf sealife and we host a large number of billfish and other sportfishing tournaments.
Let me introduce you to some real threatening damage being done to our area.
The Dead Zone: Only 7900+ square miles of sea that cannot support life. Check it out:
http://www.mindfully.org/Water/2007/...CON28jul07.htm
The Richton Salt Domes: The Feds are going to pump water from the Pascagoula River ( the last natural river in America)into the inland saltdomes to flush them out for Strategic Petroleum Resrve storage. The intense brine will be flushed out 12 miles offshore at Horn Island; a MS barrier island and part of our huge nursurey.
Very interesting read:
http://www.gulfcoastnews.com/GCNspec...fuge111107.htm
Oil & natural gas wells:
All over the Ms Gulf; some as close as 20 miles offshore.
I hope Mr Poon Hunter and others will reaccess their positions and look beyond their own personal trifleing interests.
Food for thought:
Imagine if our oil supply was interrupted or cut off. Our government would have no choice but to ration fuel; being certain that our armed forces and mandatory fuel needs are prioritized.
That may leave fueling Poon Hunting and other sportfishing boats at the very bottom of our national concerns.
Loosing charter fishing would also be detrimental to my area.
So, in my opinion, loosing industies does matter.
Sorry for the rant,

[GALAZIO]

Seems it is more of a geographic issue and how things are handled. Off the Texas coast, our sea floor is raked as smooth as the infield in Yankee Stadium. Not ONE rock / pebble, nothing.... until the 40 mile shelf and then you hit your first bottom contour. The shimpers here drag the bays, gulf, and would be in the lakes if shrimp grew there. The by-catch is horrible. Seems the only changes the "officials" keep making are ways to limit my fishing. Personally I am all for commercial shrimping, have them use cast nets...plain and simple. I wonder how well-received the "Deadliest Catch" would be if these crab boats drug HUGE metal plates across the bottom and brought nets packed with fish and marine life of all kinds (coral, etc) for a return of 1 lb of crab for 99 lbs of "by-catch".

Sorry... but the shrimping industry is killing itself by not improving techniques. I do not feel sorry for them and I enjoy my shrimp as much as the next guy. But if they can't figure out how to not have 99% by-catch and destroy coral growths and grass beds... See YA!

[GALAZIO]

Barefootin: I understand what you are saying, but let's look at the entire industry...the good & bad. Also, you say the following: "Food for thought:
Imagine if our oil supply was interrupted or cut off. Our government would have no choice but to ration fuel; being certain that our armed forces and mandatory fuel needs are prioritized."

Seems you might want to look up the Clinton/Gore sell off of OUR National oil reserves to companies like Occidental for Gore's PERSONAL financial gain. (google: Gore Elk Hills oil). Sorry, but once again the "government" is the LAST GROUP OF IDIOTS we need involved to help form solutions. It is past time for the Shrimpers to get off the asses and develop better techniques. It is that simple.