From Shrimper to Ferryman: The True Cost of a Plate of Shrimp

"Help us with these fuel prices. We're farmers of the sea."
— Acy Cooper, Louisiana shrimper

Acy Cooper has docked his boat, the Lacy Kay. A third-generation Louisiana shrimper, he has taken a job ferrying oil rig workers to make ends meet. The culprit is a double blow: fuel costs that have skyrocketed and shrimp prices that have collapsed.

The Fuel Crisis

Diesel prices for shrimpers surged from roughly $3.50 per gallon in early 2024 to over $5 per gallon by spring 2024. The spike was driven by geopolitical turmoil—the war with Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

To simply break even, Cooper needs to catch at least 1,000 pounds of shrimp per trip. A cold front in May drove shrimp into open water, slashing his catch further.

Decades of Decline

The challenges go far beyond this year's fuel spike.

Dockside prices for Gulf shrimp fell to below $2 per pound in 2023 (adjusted for inflation). Forty years ago, that same shrimp commanded over $6 per pound.

The numbers paint a stark picture of an industry in freefall:

• Gulf shrimp revenue dropped from $489 million in 2021 to just $221 million in 2023.
• Louisiana boasted nearly 20,000 shrimpers in the mid-1980s; today, fewer than 1,400 remain.

The Import Flood

The Southern Shrimp Alliance reports that imported farm-raised shrimp now accounts for over 90% of U.S. consumption. The Gulf fleet's domestic market share has collapsed from 30% in 1984 to a mere 4.5% in 2023.

"This industry could absorb an increased fuel cost a lot better if our markets were strong and hadn't been flooded with foreign, farm-raised product."
— Blake Price, Southern Shrimp Alliance director

Price added a crucial distinction: "We're not asking for checks or a payout. We just want a level playing field."

A Glimmer of Hope

Two developments offer potential relief:

The Save Our Shrimpers Act, which would stop U.S. subsidies for foreign shrimp aquaculture, has passed the House and now awaits Senate action.

Meanwhile, the USDA has created a new Office of Seafood. The Southern Shrimp Alliance hopes this will lead to assistance programs—training, disaster relief, market support—for the beleaguered fishing industry.

For shrimpers like Acy Cooper, the clock is ticking. "We want something to fall back on when something like this happens, so we can be taken care of also."