Hurricane Ian: Florida Shrimpers Struggle To Get Battered Fleet Back To Sea

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.

Florida fishing and shrimp industry


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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