Capt. Wilmer Ruíz's boat has been tied up at Port Isabel since the start of the Iran war. The company he works for reduced workers to part time because of diesel prices. Gabriel V. Cárdenas for NBC News
KBMT-TV, 12News
PORT ARTHUR, Texas — Rising fuel prices are forcing shrimpers across Southeast Texas to reconsider whether they can afford to leave the dock.
Shrimpers say diesel prices that were once near $2 a gallon have climbed to around $5, while low shrimp prices are making it difficult to turn a profit. The combination is leaving many boats tied up along the coast.
At Kimball Brothers Shrimping, brothers Lecel Kimball and Kyle Kimball say the uncertainty has made an already risky industry even tougher.
“We cannot operate on these prices. There's just no way,” Lecel Kimball said.
The brothers, who run smaller shrimping boats, say the rising cost of diesel is affecting shrimpers across the region.
“It was coming down quite a bit. And then now it's gone up to — we've seen as high as $5,” said Kyle Kimball, president of the Port Arthur Area Shrimpers Association.
Shrimpers say fuel costs can quickly add up. Smaller boats may burn up to 12 gallons of diesel per hour, while larger vessels can burn between 20 and 40 gallons per hour during trips that can last up to a month.
Kyle Kimball said some shrimpers may spend between $150,000 and $200,000 on fuel for extended trips at current prices.
“We're better off just leaving boats tied up right now,” Lecel Kimball said.
Shrimpers say diesel prices that were once near $2 a gallon have climbed to around $5, while low shrimp prices are making it difficult to turn a profit. The combination is leaving many boats tied up along the coast.
At Kimball Brothers Shrimping, brothers Lecel Kimball and Kyle Kimball say the uncertainty has made an already risky industry even tougher.
“We cannot operate on these prices. There's just no way,” Lecel Kimball said.
The brothers, who run smaller shrimping boats, say the rising cost of diesel is affecting shrimpers across the region.
“It was coming down quite a bit. And then now it's gone up to — we've seen as high as $5,” said Kyle Kimball, president of the Port Arthur Area Shrimpers Association.
Shrimpers say fuel costs can quickly add up. Smaller boats may burn up to 12 gallons of diesel per hour, while larger vessels can burn between 20 and 40 gallons per hour during trips that can last up to a month.
Kyle Kimball said some shrimpers may spend between $150,000 and $200,000 on fuel for extended trips at current prices.
“We're better off just leaving boats tied up right now,” Lecel Kimball said.
Lecel Kimball said he has only taken two trips so far this year. With shrimp selling between $1.80 and $3 per pound, he said much of the earnings go right back into fuel costs.
Shrimpers also say imported shrimp continues to undercut local prices, adding to the financial strain.
“The import prices are anywhere from $1.50 to about $3.50 more a pound than what we get,” Kyle Kimball said.
Shrimpers say the uncertainty has made the future of the industry unclear.
“I don't see much of a future in it,” Lecel Kimball said. “Nobody wants to get in it, and nobody wants to keep fishing in the industry.”
Shrimpers also say imported shrimp continues to undercut local prices, adding to the financial strain.
“The import prices are anywhere from $1.50 to about $3.50 more a pound than what we get,” Kyle Kimball said.
Shrimpers say the uncertainty has made the future of the industry unclear.
“I don't see much of a future in it,” Lecel Kimball said. “Nobody wants to get in it, and nobody wants to keep fishing in the industry.”
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