April 14, 2021 — Gulf of Mexico crabbers are navigating into uncertain waters as the spring of 2021 arrives, in a year that began with a dearth of product.
“There’s nothing since Christmas,” said long-time crab dock owner Trudy Luke of Houma, Louisiana, U.S.A., whose family members also regularly harvest blue crabs. “The demand is so high that docks are throwing money out there. I’ve got a fisherman here who usually brings in 100 55-pound pans. Today, he brought in 10.”
August 4, 2020 — People working in Louisiana’s seafood industry and their advocates hope Congress treats fishermen better when it passes the latest COVID-19 aid package.
The pandemic is crushing restaurants and by extension the local seafood industry.
Pete Gerica is a longtime commercial fisherman.
“Your in-town sales, your sales out of state and all that, everything is at a standstill basically,” said Gerica.
Because of rising cases of the deadly virus Louisiana restaurants have mandated capacity limits.
“Everything is at a standstill basically with everybody with 25, 45, 50 percent of their sales and all of the wholesalers and retailers that we deal with directly they’re all having a rough go of it just like we are,” Gerica stated.
Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser works with the seafood industry.