Shrimpers are unlikely to catch enough this season to break even, said William Portier, though prices are at nearly a 20-year high.
That's because of a decline in the shrimp population caused by late cold fronts and drought, according to industry experts..
"I'm so far behind this year, I'll never catch up," said Portier, 58, who shrimps out of Sabine Pass. "The industry is really, really hurting right now."
Statewide, jumbo shrimp are selling wholesale at an average price of $9.50 per pound, a threshold not reached since the mid-'90s, said Andrea Hance, executive director of the Brownsville-based Texas Shrimp Association.
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