Will fishing shrimp be worth it this year? Maybe not, say harvesters

Negotiations surrounding the price of shrimp for Newfoundland and Labradorharvesters are leaving fishersto question whether untying their boats will be worth it this summer.

While there is a sense of optimism around catches like crab, shrimp has proven to be a different story. The price set by the Association of Seafood Producers came in at one dollar a pound Thursday, with theFish, Food and Allied Workers Union pushing for a price of $1.50.

Shrimp harvester Rendell Genge has been in the industry since 1970, and has seen up and down years fishing on the west coast of Newfoundland. This summer, he wonders if taking his boat out will be feasible.

"There's no way we can fish for a dollar," Genge told CBC Radio'sThe BroadcastWednesday."We had a group meeting [Tuesday], and 100 per cent agreed not to go fishing [unless] we do the $1.50, at least $1.50 right now."

"We'll hang in tough and see what the markets will give us in the future. If they can't afford to pay no more, we can't afford to fish for it."

A similar story is playing out for Carmanville harvester Heather Starks, chair of the shrimp committee in thearea known as 3K South.

"It is a low price, and it was slightly higher last year. People found it hard to fish last year at its price, and all of our shrimp didn't come in in our area," Starks said Thursday.

The Broadcast23:34Crab harvesters tell us how the season is going so far; shrimp harvesters say they won't fish this year

We take you to a couple of wharves in the province to hear how the crab fishery is going at the highest price ever offered.Disappointment from shrimp harvesters. They say a dollar a pound is not enough for them to untie their boats this season.

"I can say at a dollar, and there's no reason to say that you will get a dollar depending on the distribution, that right now it wouldn't be viable for myself to go fishing."

Starks said other factors can also play into the decision to fish shrimp this year, as rising fuel, repair and grocery costs paired with low shrimp prices could leavesome harvesters operatingat a loss.

"There are people in our area that only have one trip of crab, and they are quite dependent on shrimp," she said. "They'll make a decision, and like I said, it's very hard to go out at that price."

Negotiations to set the summer price of shrimp will continue in June, where the price will be set by a pricing panel. Depending on the result, both Genge and Starks agree they'll have a decision to make.

"I think it would be quite hard for someone to fish for such a low price. People will have to decide if it's viable," Starks said.

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