The National Fishing and Aquaculture Industry Chamber (CANAINPESCA) says that the shrimping industry is in a “critical juncture” due to the lack of market. This situation is not only attributed to the global economic crisis, but also to the over-exploitation of the Mexican coasts and to the failure of the government to adequately regulate the fishing of the crustacean.
According to president of CANAINPESCA, Rafael Ruiz, the problem of the industry is very serious, because the market is oversaturated and lacks an agreed to public policy in line with the circumstances.
Traditionally, 60 per cent of the shrimp produced in the country was destined to the external market, but this year it is estimated that less than half will be exported and at a price 50 per cent less than that of three years ago, El Sol de Mexico reports.
Meanwhile, the Chamber charges that coastal fishers have multiplied in inner waters and lagoons, given the complacency of National Aquaculture and Fishing Commission (CONAPESCA) authorities causing the extinction of several species in some coastal zones.
In this complicated context, the president of the Guaymas Association of Small Shipowners, Mireya Acuna Gomez, said that it looks for support from the head of the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fishery State Aquaculture (SAGARHPA), Hector Ortiz Ciscomani, to undertake joint projects for shrimp sale.
“We are worried not only because of the uncertainty over what is happening with our fishers who left to high seas, but what we are going to do with the shrimp that we have in storage since last season, and with what they are bringing in at the moment,” said the leader in declarations to La Voz del Puerto.
Sources of the shrimp fisher fleet of Campeche anticipate that they may have to stop indefinitely due to the lack of market.
The Campeche vessels are harvesting between 7 and 8 tonnes per trip, but are only selling 50 per cent of the same. The fishers freeze the rest of their captures, in the hopes of being able to sell them when the state of the market improves.
Like anything else they produce, the Asians get very good at it. The majority of the shrimp sold in the US these days come from Vietnam. And they are farm raised, rather than trawled up in the open ocean. Even US shrimpers have sought protection as prices and demand for shrimp have plummeted as the market saturates.
I'm all for the shrimp trawlers going away completely. Have you ever been on one and seen the amount of bycatch? I have. It's mostly juvenile fish that can't escape the trawl net. A huge variety of species. It just gets dumped overboard after it's dead.
There's no reason that the jobs lost with trawling couldn't be converted to farm raising shrimp, other than the amount of capital needed to make the transition.
You'd be doing the shrimp boat crews a favor too. I went fishing a few times with a shrimper captain and got to go on-board a couple vessels. Those boats had junk laying everywhere and were absolutely filthy. Serving on one of those boats has got to be unpleasant as hell. I went out with the captain in his personal fishing boat, and it was the same way. He did know how and where to catch fish though.
I won't be sorry to see the shrimp fleets go the way of the whalers. I'm not a tree hugging, save the whale guy, but I do believe they are damaging the ecosystem. I think the Northern part of the Sea of Cortez has already gone far beyond the point of regeneration in anyone's lifetime.
Well, It's hard to read about anything that means more lost jobs in an economy already on the skids, but I have to agree that trawl net shrimping is obsolete, and just isn't worth the impact to other species or to the bottom.
Perhaps this economic downturn will finally signal the end of this destructive industry...
Costco selling nice American grown shrimp may be another nail in the Mexican shimping industry coffin.But on the bright side the coffin making business is picking up in mexico.
Would love to....but just like everything else in Penasco the past few years, I think they have priced themselves out of the market, at least my market. I used to pick up 50 lbs. several times a year when I came down. Some went to friends and the rest I ate. But now, if I watch the sales, I can pick shrimp up for just about the same price at home ( and not have to worry about some of the "funny scales" with some of the vendors:evil:).
I've experienced the same thing. I also used to bring home shrimp for all my friends. Prices for shrimp in stores around here are comparable to what you would pay in Rocky Point. I also know that a lot of shrimp being sold at Rocky Point has been frozen, but sold as fresh. I don't even bother buying any to bring home any more.
from what I was told, is that the shrimp is frozen on the boats, and comes into harbor frozen. maybe it's not a 100%, I don't really know.
but we ARE tree-huggers and whale-lovers, and I would gladly buy shrimp from "other" sources if it meant that the northern end of the Sea of Cortez would not have those trawlers and the wasteful methods they use.
Limit your kill, don't kill your limit - the wasted by-catch could feed an entire village if not tossed overboard.
a frustrating situation - but I'll buy shrimp every trip I can, if it smells and looks right. :fish:
Many shrimp boats lower in the SOC have been refitted to accommodate the illegal long-lining of dorado since the shrimp populations/market have changed. So...my point is, that once once species is gone, the fishermen in a tough times will likely move on to the next one in order to feed their families.
Without proper education, and perhaps a focus on maintaining populations for earning money through sport fishing (instead of commercial), I hate to think about what things will look like in only a short time...
Pricing theory at work in Rocky Point=> lower demand=> raise prices to compensate for lower revenues. => Higher prices, lower volume => so rise prices some more.
Which causes even lower demand!!!!
Lower the prices until the demand exceeds the supply...then increase the prices....until supply/demand stabilizes.
I spent about an hour cleaning/deveining some shrimp that I bought the last trip down, to bring in to the office. The shrimp ran me $6/lb...and I had a fairly accurate weight. I can pick up cleaned/deveined shrimp for somewhere around $7-8/lb. at Costco/Samsclub....what's the point of buying it in Penasco?. I'm pretty sure that the Penasco shrimp were also frozen, maybe even leftovers from last season, and if they weren't, they were frozen by me for about 2 weeks.
Went to Costco in Denver today...sure enough, big shrimp from the Sea of Cortes, label says: Packed by: Proc. de Mariscos Las Brisas S.A. DE C.V. Golfo de Santa Clara, Sonora, Mexico $8.50/lb.
All the years we have been to RP and never knew the effect of the shrimpers. They were just romantic lights on the horizon. If not for this forum, that's what they would still be.
Well, I bought them and I'm going to make the shrimp in garlic sauce recipe from Rocky Point Tides, which is fantastic, and then I am going to make scampi, and then I may be sick of shrimp.:cheers:
The Line was set roughly from RP to San Felipe. No commercial fishing or shrimping north of this line. Only South.
That is a protected zone, especially for the depleting shrimp stock.
Santa Clara is way north of RP. Where do these shrimp come from if Santa Clara is 200-300 miles north of this line?
Does not make sense to haul the full boats this distance especially at $1.50 a liter in fuel.
Grand Pubah? What do you think?
I saw two shrimpers well north of the line this past weekend near the 23 mile reef. They were anchored (they generally shrimp at night). I was surprised to see them. A few years back, they had a big Mexican destroyer guarding the line, but without enforcement, they are going to go wherever they can catch shrimp.
I'm sure Santa Clara is, as mentioned, just a shipping point.
I think the location reference is to the 'Home Office" address of the company only, not necessarily where the shrimp are processed or shipped from. I think the shrimp could have been harvested by Penasco Shrimpers, packaged here and shipped anywhere. For example, Nike's products are shipped from a factory or warehouse and not from a home office in NYC or where ever but you will see the home office address on everything, not the manufacturing or shipping point.
I've experienced the same thing. I also used to bring home shrimp for all my friends. Prices for shrimp in stores around here are comparable to what you would pay in Rocky Point. I also know that a lot of shrimp being sold at Rocky Point has been frozen, but sold as fresh. I don't even bother buying any to bring home any more.
Back in September I had heard from one of the long time bartenders/waiters, at one of our favorites restaurants, that this shrimp crisis was coming. He said that everyone will be buying and ordering frozen shrimp and anything fresh will be frozen for next year in hopes of depleting the massive inventory that was not selling. He expressed deep concern for the local economy, obviously the fishermen and their families, as well as the quality of shrimp able to be sold at market and in restaurants.