ARANSAS PASS, Tx — Shrimp season is back in full swing at Conn Brown Harbor now that state and federal waters have reopened to commercial shrimping. It’s a busy time for shrimpers after being closed for over two months.
“Boats are coming out of Palacios, Aransas Pass, Brownsville, Galveston. All the different ports,” Aransas Pass local Cecil Robles said.
An armada of shrimp boats is off to the Gulf of Mexico, hoping to fill their nets with tiny treasures. Robles works at Conn Brown Harbor, where he fuels shrimp boats for Erickson and Jensen seafood packers.
"The next few days, we'll start to hear from them about what they're catching and how abundant the fish are,” Robles said.
Erickson and Jensen Seafood Packers are one of the only shrimp fleets left in Aransas Pass.
Robles said several factors have dwindled the number of shrimpers.
"It's a hard business. It’s tough. The price of fuel is over $3 a gallon,” Robles said.
Grant Erickson, the owner of Erickson and Jensen Seafood Packers, is in Florida with the rest of the fleet.
He tells KRIS 6 News there's unfair competition in the U.S. shrimp market.
According to the Southern Shrimp Alliance, U.S. shrimpers produce less than 10% of shrimp sold in the United States.
"Shrimp prices are so low right now. It's a disaster. Now, all these countries produce farm-raised shrimp where the United States can't do it for the price, they do it in India, in China, in Ecuador,” Erickson said.
Erickson said foreign competition affects the price they can get for their catch.
"A shrimp boat has caught a tremendous amount to make expenses. It's very hard to do,” Erickson said.
For now, Erickson remains committed to selling wild-caught shrimp. He expects to have good news by the end of next week.
