Pictured above: Fifth-generation shrimper Zack Campo holds his daughter, Ella, aboard his family’s boat in Shell Beach, Louisiana. Campo is one of the youngest shrimpers operating in the area. Photo by Jake Price used with permission (not for re-use).
A recent Civil Eats photo essay documents the challenges Louisiana shrimpers face as they work to sustain their centuries-old way of life. Once the backbone of the Gulf Coast economy, the shrimp industry has been battered by cheap imports, rising fuel costs, and environmental disasters like the BP oil spill. Prices have plummeted from the equivalent of $4.50 a pound in the 1980s to barely $1.50 today.
Shrimpers like Rocky Ditcharo and George Barisich, a shrimping captain and advocate for the shrimping and fishing community, warn that without government intervention — such as subsidies, tariffs on imports, or a dedicated shrimping task force — small boats and local seafood businesses will vanish. Advocates also stress that consumer choices matter: buying wild-caught, U.S. shrimp from community-based shrimpers supports local families, protects the environment, and avoids labor abuses tied to many overseas shrimp farms.
Chefs, younger shrimpers, and community leaders are rallying to rebuild connections from “boat to table.” They say even a small shift in demand toward domestic seafood could make the difference in keeping Gulf shrimping alive for the next generation.