Tag Archives: livelihoods are disappearing

‘Without us, you don’t have Louisiana:’ Struggling shrimpers warn lawmakers industry is on brink of collapse

For longtime shrimp boat captain Kip Marquize, it’s a race against time. “We are the heart of Louisiana. Without us, you don’t have Louisiana,” Marquize said as he navigated the channels out of Delacroix and deep into the bayous of St. Bernard Parish. “What I see is our whole state losing its identity on the world stage.” The biggest challenge they face is the sheer mass of shrimp currently being imported by the United States. “The importers, they got so much coming in, they’re starting to buy infrastructure,” Cooper said. “They’re buying freezers. They’re trying to buy processing plants. When they do that, you’re pushing us completely out. “We’re about to lose this industry.” video, >click to read< 14:34