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News: 2004

Public Fisheries Seminars
Posted: 10/21/04

On Wednesday, December 1, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., the LSU AgCenter's Sea Grant Marine Extension Program, in cooperation with the National Fisherman Magazine, is sponsoring a day of Commercial Fishermen's Seminars at the International Workboat Show at the Ernest M. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

This year, instead of spreading the seminars over a variety of topics, the program will focus on the situation within the shrimp industry. Only three possible solutions to these difficult economic times within the shrimp fishery exist: reducing imported shrimp, increasing demand specifically for US-produced shrimp or changing shrimp management to produce more profits per fisherman.

In addressing the first option, the Southern Shrimp Alliance pursued and won an antidumping petition against the six largest shrimp exporting countries. For four of the six countries, the tariffs was quite low though. Also, the likelihood of increased imports from countries not petitioned against is high.

Efforts to promote domestic shrimp have begun with formation of a corporation, Wild American Shrimp Inc, to handle promotional funds and direct promotion efforts. Promotion will be long term work.

The third option, changing shrimp management, is the subject of the seminars. Discussion will open with a presentation by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) on what they learned from their intensive series of public meetings on their Shrimp Business Plan and what they plan to do from here.

The NMFS presentation will be followed by three presentations on the challenges and opportunities in changed shrimp management as seen from the state level. John Roussel of Louisiana, Vernon Minton of Alabama and Robin Riechers from Texas will make these presentations. Attendance is free. MARK YOUR CALENDARS.

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