Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Fishery Improvement Roundtable

Ocean Conservancy has recently embarked on a new management model for the Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery. The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP), Texas Sea Grant, and Ocean Conservancy are working to bring together fishermen, seafood buyers, and other fishery experts to explore new and innovative ways to move this valuable and important fishery towards sustainability.

The Challenge

The Gulf shrimp fishery (valued at $354 million in 2006) recently reached an economic breaking point. Lower-priced farmed shrimp from abroad has driven down the price of domestic wild-caught shrimp. In 2008, sky-rocketing fuel prices literally kept nearly half the permitted shrimp boats from leaving the dock in this fuel-intensive trawl fishery.

Shrimping carries some high environmental costs as well. With every pound of shrimp, an estimated four pounds of other species known as “bycatch” are caught as well. The impact of bycatch on other economically important commercial fisheries can be significant. Bycatch of young fish like red snapper was found to be a contributing factor to that fish’s decline in the Gulf of Mexico. Bycatch also has considerable costs for the industry. The extra weight of the bycatch can crush the valuable shrimp, making them less marketable. And fishermen must spend a great deal of time sorting shrimp from the other sea life, which may be too damaged to survive when thrown back.

Shrimp trawls can drag the seafloor, disturbing habitat. And traditional large wooden trawl doors produce considerable drag, forcing shrimp boats to burn a lot of fuel, which generates emissions that contribute to global climate change and empties fishermen’s wallets at the pump.

The Sustainable Solution

An industry transformation is underway, however. Together with shrimp fishermen and Texas Sea Grant, Ocean Conservancy and SFP have launched the “Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Fishery Improvement Roundtable” to identify innovative and practical measures to improve the fishery. New shrimp fishing gear has been introduced that greatly reduces bycatch, improves shrimp quality, and is likely to have less impact on the ocean floor. Already, technological improvements have been developed that reduce bycatch by more than 30% and reduce fuel consumption by up to 39%. This reduction in fuel consumption will significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the fishery and provide much needed relief to fishermen struggling with the volatile cost of fuel.

Latest Updates

Through the Roundtable, Ocean Conservancy has joined in a cooperative effort to get the gear adopted more widely in the Gulf, and to introduce shrimp wholesale buyers to more sustainable methods and to the fishermen who use them. At our last meeting in March, Texas Sea Grant provided several success stories about fishermen around the Gulf who are beginning to use the steel doors and others who are working on even further improvements to the BRDs to reduce bycatch even further. SFP gave an update on the progress of developing a Gulf of Mexico Loan Fund to help offset the cost of the newer gear and other improvements fishermen may want to make. A sub-committee of the Roundtable is being convened to develop conservation covenants that will be included in the Loan Fund. Ocean Conservancy also presented an update on marketing efforts to promote the Roundtable, including an article in Ocean Conservancy magazine, an article in LA Sea Grant’s monthly newsletter, a flier to shrimp fishermen in partnership with Texas Park & Wildlife, and a new video highlighting the effort that debuted at the Boston Seafood Show.

What You Can Do

Everyone involved with shrimp has a place at the table. Fishermen can’t do it alone; seafood businesses and their customers—the seafood consumers—must exert their influence as well. Ocean Conservancy’s Fishery-to-Fork Program works with stakeholders all along the seafood supply chain, from fishermen to seafood buyers to consumers, to build a strong market for more sustainable Gulf shrimp. When buyers and seafood lovers get involved in supporting reforms in the shrimp fishery, it’s good for business—and good for the Gulf.