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Through May, Highest Volume of Shrimp Landings in the Gulf Since 2006

NOAA’s publication of shrimp landings in the Gulf of Mexico for the month of May reports that, through the first five months of this year, more shrimp has been landed by commercial fishermen than any year since 2006. In total, Gulf shrimpers have harvested 30.3 million pounds of shrimp this year, up from 23.6 million pounds last year. This marks the third straight year of increased landings compared to the year prior. Shrimp landings in 2017 are thus far 18.7 percent over the prior fifteen-year historical average of 25.5 million pounds and the volume of shrimp landed is the highest total reported since Gulf shrimpers landed 35.2 million pounds of shrimp in the first five months of 2006.

4.7 million of those 30.3 million pounds of shrimp caught in the gulf were landed in Alabama, a record volume over the sixteen-year historical period tracked by the Southern Shrimp Alliance. The 1.3 million pounds of shrimp landed in Mississippi in the first five months of 2017 is the most reported for that state for the same time period since 2004; the 3.7 million pounds of shrimp landed on the West Coast of Florida is the most reported for that area 2006; the 7.9 million pounds landed so far this year in Texas is the most reported for that state since 2011; and the 12.8 million pounds landed in Louisiana is the most reported for that state since 2013.

These numbers were bolstered by a robust month of May. NOAA reports that 14.6 million pounds of shrimp were landed in the Gulf last month, the highest for the month since 2011, well above the 10.3 million pounds landed in May 2016, and 5.6 percent above the previous fifteen-year historical average of 13.8 million pounds. More shrimp was landed in Texas (3.4 million pounds) and Alabama (1.5 million pounds) than in any previous May over the sixteen-year historical period tracked by the Southern Shrimp Alliance.

As volumes have increased, the dockside prices that NOAA reports for medium and small-sized shrimp has recovered. Dockside prices for 26-30 count shrimp in all regions increased significantly compared to May of 2016 and May of 2015. Prices for 26-30 count shrimp in the Northern Gulf – where they were reported to be the lowest of all three regions – were at $3.98 per pound, a substantial improvement over the $3.14 per pound dockside price reported in May of last year for the same count size. Similarly, ex-vessel prices reported for 41-50 count shrimp were significantly above those reported in May 2016. Prices for 41-50 shrimp in the Northern Gulf were at $2.25 per pound compared to $1.66 per pound in May 2016.

Please click the following link to view SSA’s compilation and summary of May 2002-2017 Shrimp Landings and Ex-Vessel Prices for May 2001-2017:
https://shrimpalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/May-2017-Landings.pdf

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