TERREBONNE PARISH, La. (WGNO) — Louisiana shrimpers are hopeful the new tariffs on imported shrimp will bolster the domestic shrimp industry.
“We’ve had to get more active and have to go to Baton Rouge or have to go to Washington, D.C. That kind of thing or something that really never happened from our level before,” said Cheri Blanchard with the Southern Shrimp Alliance.
Blanchard has witnessed a shift in the local shrimping business over the years.
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She explains that more than 90% of shrimp consumed in the U.S. is imported from countries like India, Indonesia and Ecuador, driving down prices and crushing U.S. shrimp owners’ businesses.
“The market share for domestic shrimp is only like 6% now, whereas the imported market shares 94/93. You know the fluctuation of it here. So, that affects our price because they fill up our inventory with cheap shrimp,” said Blanchard.
Louisiana Shrimp Association President Acy Cooper recently urged more people to question where local restaurants are getting their seafood from.
“They may be thinking they’re getting our product, but the customer and the consumer need to know, have the right to know whenever they go into a restaurant to eat shrimp. They are not getting a deal, the restaurant is making the money, but we are suffering,” said Cooper.
The total value of the U.S. Shrimp fishermen’s catch fell from $522 million in 2021 to $268 million in 2023, and remains near historically low values, according to NOAA fisheries.
Local shrimpers are optimistic the new tariffs will provide relief to the shrimp industry, which has suffered due to imports.
Blanchard also credits laws that have been put in place.
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“It’s called save our shrimpers, and what it says is you can’t take U.S. Taxpayer dollars and use it to subsidize foreign shrimp or seafood,” said Blanchard.
With the changes still new, Blanchard understands it will take time for the infrastructure to recover and rebuild
“It’s been an up-and-down climb, nothing is easy, but with God, all things are possible, and he just takes care of us,” said Blanchard.
