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As Hurricane Francine closed in on Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes on Wednesday, area shrimpers took advantage of the tidal waves moving inland and pulled in thousands of pounds of shrimp in the afternoon, USA Today network reports.
American shrimpers have had a hard few years as shrimp imports have plummeted prices.
The shrimp season, which started in August, has been good, but the prices have not. Shrimper Jonathan Guidry says ahead of Francine, he caught about 3,000 to 4,000 pounds in about four to five hours. These shrimp were primarily large, 16/20s, which could go for $6 to $7 a pound in past years. The 16/20s are extra jumbo shrimp, and Guidry says they only went for $1.30 a pound.
The situation was similar in Venice, where shrimper and Louisiana Shrimp Task Force board member Acy Cooper says he was catching four to five boxes per hour of 36/40s, medium-large shrimp. He caught 2,500 pounds before daylight, and said that on typical nights he catches anywhere from 1,500 to 1,800.
The 36/40s usually go for about $1.80 to $1.90 a pound. The windfall of shrimp only fetched 90 cents a pound.
