We’re about three weeks into shrimping season, and many Louisiana shrimp boats remain docked. Acy Cooper, the president of the Louisiana Shrimp Association, says it’s a sign of troubled times for the industry.
“We can’t compete because of high prices of fuel, high prices of equipment and low-price shrimp. There’s no way we’re going to make it,” Cooper said.
Cooper says imported shrimp is especially killing the domestic shrimping industry, saying not only are imported shrimp prices badly undercutting prices of wild-caught shrimp, but diners are not getting a good product. He says the U.S.’ testing of shrimp imports is very lax; and as a result, American diners are getting everything that the rest of the world is rejecting.
“Indonesia, China and India tests up to 50%. The UK tests 50%, and we test less than 1%,” Cooper noted.
So Cooper is asking the federal government for help. He says President Trump’s tariffs on shrimp imports are having a very limited effect, so he’s now asking for limits on shrimp imports.
“We’re asking for a cap: 1.5 billion pounds in this country a year. They bring in 1.7 to 2 billion pounds every year,” Cooper said.
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