On San Carlos Island, just off Shrimp Boat Lane, the local shrimp fishing community is navigating troubled waters in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Even with their ships repaired, the challenges for these shrimpers are far from over.
Henry Gore, a seasoned shrimp boat captain of over 40 years, tells us it’s the worst state he’s seen for the local shrimping industry.
“After Ian, everybody was saying ‘Well you must be killing it now because there’s hardly any boats left,’ but it’s not that way. There’s hardly any boats fishing. There used to be 50, 60, 70 boats working out of this harbor, now there’s maybe 10,” Gore explains.
The decline is due to two main factors: the high cost of boat repairs, often exceeding $100,000, and the competition from internationally imported farm shrimp. This surge of cheaper, farm-raised shrimp has saturated the market, driving down prices and making it increasingly difficult for local shrimpers to compete.
A few years ago, a month-long shrimping expedition could yield around $60,000 worth of shrimp. Today, that figure has halved, significantly impacting the livelihoods of those who depend on this trade.