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.”
13 comments:
Remember we are Making America Great Again...and some eat the crock of shit.
What the artist of the deal has realized is that the world has changed. It is no longer the late 70s or 80s
Trump ain't losing any sleep
Get over it
Eat more chicken.
No, you are right, him and the First Mojada are not losing any sleep. Y el pobre paga el pato. If you live in Brownsville you are poor.
Shrimp are the cockroach of the sea! Your President does not eat shrimp. Only poor people eat shrimp.
The worst part is that all this chaos and suffering was completely avoidable.
The Strait was open. Diesel, gasoline and groceries were more affordable. The US was undisputed militarily. Now, Netanyahu and Trump have been bitch-slapped into a new reality. They assassinated the ruler of a nation. The son took over. He's pissed that many immediate family members were also killed in the first strike. He has business associates in China, Russia and North Korea. No other nations have helped the US in its unilateral decision to
attack Iran. We've isolated ourselves and even NATO won't get involved.
Ask them if they voted? Probably not. If they did, they voted for Trump and will vote for Trump again. These shrimpers did this to themselves.
If you live in Brownsville you are stupid. As for poverty that's a matter of choice.
We're not poor, we're broke.
Melania eats mushrooms 🍄😂
While working Americans struggle with basic necessities, Trump and the GOP focus on a billion dollars for a ballroom.
MAGA, open your eyes.
Have you visited a restaurant or bar that is empty? Have you seen the numerous new cars especially trucks? Have you seen anyone walking to work with a lunch bag? The only ones struggling are those that don't want to work and depend on our government for their survival.
Haven't you heard a Trump official say that credit card use is high?
Post a Comment