shrimpers

When restaurants charge a premium for Gulf-caught shrimp — and pocket the extra profit by serving farm-raised imported shrimp — they're denying local shrimpers a fair income.

According to SeaD Consulting COO Erin Williams, “the domestic shrimping industry is hanging on by a thread at this point due to missed market opportunities.”

Shrimping is the largest piece of Florida’s seafood industry, with a value of almost $52 million in 2016. Now, it’s a matter of when the fishing can resume and whether there will still be experienced crews to operate the boats when that happens.