The Louisiana Department
of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has released The 2007 Louisiana
Shrimp Marketing Survey Report, which is an in-depth study
of dockside shrimp dealers and the role they play in the Louisiana
seafood industry.
This report summarizes
findings of a series of interviews with 52 Louisiana shrimp
dealers conducted by the LDWF Socioeconomic Research and Development
Section according to the report's author Dr. Jack Isaacs,
LDWF economist. The survey and the report were part of a project
funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The report states
that in 2006 the Gulf of Mexico accounted for 84 percent (289.1
million pounds) of all shrimp commercially harvested in the
United States and 86 percent ($343.9 million) of the dockside
value. Louisiana led all Gulf States with 46 percent (135
million pounds) of total gulf shrimp harvest and was second
to Texas in gulf shrimp dockside value at 35 percent ($121
million).
Shrimp dockside
prices have followed a steady decrease since 2000, dropping
from a national average price of about $2.20 per pound to
about $1.25 per pound in 2006. The average gulf price was
$2 per pound in 2000 dropping to $1.25 per pound in 2006.
Louisiana's average dockside price was about $1.65 per pound
in 2000, falling to 95 cents in 2006.
"The main
reason why the department conducted this survey was to gather
a better understanding of the Louisiana shrimp market due
to the historic decline in domestic shrimp prices," Isaacs
said. "More specifically, we wanted to examine the pivotal
role of dockside shrimp dealers in the marketing chain. The
results may be interesting to anybody in the shrimp business
or seafood industry or anybody with an interest in this vital
– yet troubled – sector of the Louisiana economy."
The term “shrimp
dealers” used in the report refers to businesses that
buy shrimp directly from shrimpers, usually for commercial
purposes. There were 52 dealers included in this survey who
specialize in one important task: buying large amounts of
shrimp (2.24 million pounds on average) from Louisiana’s
shrimpers, then selling those shrimp to others in the seafood
marketing chain, such as processors, restaurants and distributors.
All dealers surveyed
bought both brown shrimp and white shrimp. Only one in five
bought seabob and roughneck shrimp (smaller size shrimp) and
pink shrimp, which are more closely related to brown and white
shrimp. More than half of the shrimp dealers said they also
purchased some type of finfish from fishermen in addition
to shrimp, but generally in much smaller quantities.
Of the 52 surveyed
dealers, 45 sold whole (“heads-on”) shrimp and
43 sold shrimp tails (“heads-off” shrimp still
in their shells). Only 16 shrimp dealers produced or sold
raw peeled shrimp, and two sold cooked and peeled shrimp.
Most shrimp processing was done by separate businesses, such
as processors or restaurants, who purchase these shrimp from
dealers.
According to Martin
Bourgeois, LDWF Marine Fisheries Biologist, the report delivers
a clearer understanding of the shrimp marketing chain, which
enhances the ability of the department in developing wise
management recommendations affecting the Louisiana shrimp
resource. Providing greater economic opportunities for Louisiana
shrimpers and businesses within the marketing chain is critical
to sustaining economic viability within Louisiana's most valuable
commercial fishery.
Copies
of the report may be obtained by calling the LDWF Socioeconomic
Research and Development Section at 225-765-2605 or by visiting
the LDWF website at www.wlf.louisiana.gov/pdfs/education/2007_Shrimp_Dealers_Survey.pdf.
