Several fishermen in Alaska haul their boats in rockfish and perch sit docked for prolonged periods, while in Texas, shrimpers are traveling to Mexico just to buy cheaper diesel. And along the East Coast, lobstermen are making fewer trips to their traps. Bill Adler, executive director for the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association, told that fishermen do not have the flexibility to charge the extra fuel costs form the customers. Instead, the dealer offers a price and it’s “take it or leave it.
U.S. fishermen have in recent years faced increasing pressure to keep prices down because of low-cost imports and farmed fish. Jimmie Ruhle, president of the trade group Commercial Fishermen of America and a third generation fisherman out of Wanchese, N.C. explained that the situation is as bad as he has ever seen at it 45 years. Fishermen and seafood economists say conditions have deteriorated to the point where some captains are considering leaving the business.
University of Alaska fisheries economist Gunnar Knapp told that the impact on consumers is hard to predict. He added that certain kinds of fish will become more expensive. Carlton Reyes, president of the Brownsville-Port Isabel Shrimp Producers Association in Texas, told that some shrimp boats are traveling to Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico 30 hours each way to buy fuel. Other fishermen are conserving fuel by making fewer trips, reducing boat speeds, or not traveling as far out.
