The Texas shrimping industry is not what it used to be despite seafood being just as popular today as in years past.
Less than 10 percent of consumed shrimp in the U.S is of native caught shrimp. That means shrimp imported from India, Thailand, and South America have overtaken the U.S. market. Texas shrimpers feel like they're just a drop in the bucket.
Doug Pike, host of the Doug Pike Outdoors Show on SportsTalk 790 in Houston, said it didn't always used to be like this.
"There is increasing competition from around the world with these big shrimp farms and it's becoming costly for them (Texas shrimpers) to go out there and harvest those shrimp," he said.
Back in the 1980's, domestic producers accounted for more than half of the shrimp consumed in America. Today, it's become the opposite.
Local shrimpers are dealing with higher costs in today's shrimping industry too and the margins are getting smaller.
"The fuel costs money, the boat costs money, the dock space costs money," Pike explained. "It's running these guys out of business."
The state of Louisiana has a law requiring restaurants and other seafood merchants to disclose where their shrimp was caught. It's unclear if state lawmakers in Austin will take up any similar legislation once the session begins Jan. 14.
According to the National Fisheries Institute, shrimp made up 38 percent of all seafood consumed in the U.S. in 2021. Recreational shrimping season ends Nov. 30 in open water and Texas bays.