The seafood industry in southwest Florida is racing against time and the elements to save what’s left of a major shrimping fleet — and a lifestyle — that was battered by Hurricane Ian.
The storm’s ferocious wind and powerful surge hurled a couple dozen shrimp boats atop wharves and homes along the harbor on Estero Island. Jesse Clapham, who oversees a dozen trawlers for a large seafood company at Fort Myers Beach, is trying to get boats back to sea as quickly as possible — before their engines, winches and pulleys seize up from being out of the water.
Shrimping is the largest piece of Florida’s seafood industry, with a value of almost $52 million in 2016, state statistics show.

Economic Impact
Florida ranked 11th among U.S. states in 2016 for fresh seafood production with 87 million pounds harvested and a dockside value of $237 million, which is 4.5 percent of U.S. total value. The leading species by value was shrimp, at $51.6 million.
In 2016, Florida seafood production:Accounted for 3.16 percent of Florida’s agricultural receipts.
Supported nearly 4,000 jobs. Had a total economic effect of $407.6 million.
$197 million in commercial food fish sales (estimated dockside value). The top species in dockside value harvested during 2020 in Florida were:
Shrimp ($49 M)
Stone crab ($31 M)
Spiny lobster ($25 M)
Blue crab ($12.7 M)
Red snapper ($12.7 M)
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