Yesterday, NOAA issued landing volume data for shrimp caught in the Gulf of Mexico in the month of November.
The Southern Shrimp Alliance’s analysis of NOAA data indicates that shrimp landings for November were the highest for any November since 2010 and the second highest since 2006.
For the entire Gulf of Mexico, the 12.2 million pounds of shrimp landed was 3.0% below average November shrimp landings between 2002 and 2013 (12.6 million pounds), but was the most shrimp landed in the month of November since 2010 (also 12.6 million pounds).
In Louisiana, the 6.5 million pounds of shrimp landed was at the level of the historical average for November shrimp landings between 2002 and 2013 (6.5 million pounds), but was the highest volume November since 2006 (7.2 million pounds). For Alabama, the 1.0 million pounds of shrimp landed was 4.4% above the prior 12-year historic average (1.0 million pounds) and the biggest volume November since 2008 (1.7 million pounds). Like Alabama, landings on the West Coast of Florida (.5 million pounds) were the highest reported for any November since 2008. And in Texas, the 3.8 million pounds of shrimp landed were 2.0% below the prior 12-year historic average for the month of November (3.9 million pounds).
However, even with another strong month of shrimping in November, total landings in 2014 continue to be below average because of poor production in the first half of this year. For the entire Gulf, 105.7 million pounds of shrimp has been landed over the first eleven months of this year – 10.7% below the prior 12-year historic average (118.3 million pounds). This is the third straight year that the January to November landings volume has fallen below the prior year mark, declining from 110.8 million pounds in 2011 to 109.8 million pounds in 2012 then to 108.3 million pounds in 2013 and to 105.7 million pounds this year.
Production in Texas in 2014, equaling 30.0 million pounds, is 22.5% below the prior 12-year historic average (38.8 million pounds). Production in Louisiana, equal to 53.7 million pounds, is 7.8% below the prior 12-year historic average (58.2 million pounds).
However, in Alabama, the 11.9 million pounds of shrimp landed so far this year is a historic high and 34.3% above the 12-year historic average (8.8 million pounds).
As with prior months of strong landings, the ex-vessel prices reported by NOAA for November continue to be high. Fifteen of the twenty-one ex-vessel prices, reported for a total of seven different count sizes (U15 through 41-50) across three different regions, were higher than the previous record high levels reported in November 2013. In other words, with a few exceptions, ex-vessel prices reported for November 2014 were the highest reported by NOAA based on a review of data going back to 2001.
Please click the following link to view SSA’s compilation and summary of November 2014 Shrimp Landings and Ex-Vessel Prices:
https://shrimpalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/November-2014-Landings.pdf