The Very Last Shrimp

"These are the very last shrimp I'll sell."  I could have taken that as a backhanded comment on my tardy 10 a.m. arrival at the dock in Pass Christian, Mississippi, this morning.  Unfortunately, however, it was the shrimper's announcement of impending retirement.  His retirement may be partially brought on by old age: he is 68, and has been shrimping for forty years.  But what really brought on the "I mean last ever"?  My $4/lb jumbo shrimp.  $3.45/gallon gasoline.  Imports.  These three factors add up to an economically unsustainable local shrimping business.  So while I, and others like me, are thrilled at the bargain of quality local seafood, and cannot imagine seafood from elsewhere in the country, much less the world, our seafood industry is in dire straights.  So please, demand local seafood from your seafood purveyor.  If there is no local seafood available, Gulf of Mexico seafood is the next best (and it is the best) thing.  Don't be afraid of supporting domestic seafood by paying higher prices, especially if you are buying direct from the seafarer.  Local shrimpers and others that harvest the sea represent a way of life and help our country feed itself; let's keep the white boot brigade busy on their boats:  Eat more Gulf shrimp!