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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 35 Number 5
January 2008
Shrimp: Market improves, fuel costs a worry
PORTLAND, ME – Shrimp season, which began on Dec. 1, was off to a slow start as of Dec. 10.
Spencer Fuller of Cozy Harbor Seafood Inc. in Portland reported that only a small fraction of the fleet had started shrimping, but additional boats were coming into the fishery every day.
Cozy Harbor buys shrimp from the whole length of the Maine coast and the opening was what people have come to expect for this time of year.
“The catch was normal for December, not the gangbusters of three years ago,” he said. “At this year’s opening, boats were catching between 200 and 500 pounds per hour depending on boat size and fishing location.”
Also, Fuller reported that boats found a mixture of shrimp at 75 fathoms that had not separated.
“At 55 fathoms, the count was lower, yielding a more valuable product,” he said. “Some guys towing the three-mile line were getting a good quality shrimp.”
Dan Young of the South Bristol Fishermen’s Co-op reported a gradual shrimp season opening.
“Not many boats in our area were going in early December,” he said. “Maybe only 10-15 boats.”
Young attributed the season’s slow start to both bad weather days and shrimp’s natural tendency not to trap well until January.
Angelo Ciocca of Nova Seafood Ltd. in Portland also reported a slow opening with only a small percentage of the Portland-area fishing fleet geared up.
“Only about 25% of the fleet shrimped in early December,” he said. “Some guys were still lobstering or groundfishing. The groundfish boats can do better in December groundfishing than they can do shrimping.”
The Portland Fish Exchange had not held a shrimp auction yet as of Dec. 10.
Generally speaking, dealers suggested fishermen could expect to see 25%-30% more for their catch this year compared to last year, but there were worries that the increase might not be enough to offset today’s cost of fuel.
Fuel cost concerns
Further to the south, Bob Campbell of the Yankee Fishermen’s Co-op in Seabook, NH reported that many boats in his area did not go shrimping at the opening because, like fishermen in Portland, they were still chasing groundfish.
“In early December, boats have to travel 30 miles out to catch shrimp,” Campbell added. “The catch rate wasn’t as high as last year’s opening, but the boats still need to cover the cost of fuel. With the colder weather coming in January, shrimp will be driven inshore so boats won’t have to spend as much in fuel costs finding them.”
Downeast Maine sources reported a very slow season opening. Sam Beal of HR Beal & Sons Inc. in Southwest Harbor reported that only one boat in his area was ready to shrimp on opening day, but there were about four other boats considering changing over for the remainder of the season.
Susan Super at the Winter Harbor Lobster Co-op reported that no one was shrimping this year.
“We didn’t have any boats going last year either,” she said.
Steve Robbins III of the Stonington Lobstermen’s Co-op reported that five or six boats were planning to rig up to go in January.
“This year’s lobster season has been so bad between low catch and high fuel and bait costs that we are looking for another fishery to help fishermen survive through the winter,” he said.
Improved market
Despite the slow open, confidence remained high regarding both catch rates and market outlook for the season. Dealers were optimistic that shrimp would come inside during the colder winter months, producing high catch rates. They also predicted that market interest would remain high.
Said Campbell, “The market for shrimp has improved for this year with both Canada and the European Union (EU) proving to be big markets for Maine shrimp.”
The decline in the value of the dollar was a big factor in the reopening of both the Canadian and EU markets.
“Last year the market was not this healthy,” Campbell said. “Even though there was a lot of shrimp last season, there was no market for them.”
Ciocca agreed, noting that the demand for shrimp “looks good.”
The bulk of the demand is coming mostly from the United Kingdom with some demand from the EU, Japan, and China.
Beal reported there was a strong local market for shrimp to be peeled, vacuumed sealed, and frozen for the summer tourist season.
Fuller also was optimistic.
“The market now has the ability to absorb the volume of shrimp landed,” he said. “This year, the biggest issue facing fishermen landing shrimp is fuel costs.”
Gina LeDuc-Kuntz
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