You've probably seen the headlines and read the story. If you haven't, you can follow this link to learn more about the recent recall of frozen shrimp that had to be made by the giant retailer Walmart. Federal investigators say the shrimp imported from Indonesia showed signs of possible radioactive contamination.

Here in Louisiana, this story affects us in a lot of different ways, but maybe, just maybe, this "nuclear shrimp" imported from southeast Asia can be the bombshell that finally blows the lid off one of the greatest injustices in American agriculture. We have to protect American farmers/fishermen from cheaper, inferior imported products.

Despite being called a “cruise,” the people on board The Pelican described the experience on the hypoxia monitoring expedition as very different from the elaborate dinners on a towering vacation ship or booze- and buffet-filled Caribbean itinerary.

Passengers describe waves up to 5 feet high in the Gulf of Mexico, swinging the 116-foot research vessel like a pendulum, plaguing anyone who didn’t have sturdy sea legs with bouts of seasickness. Daytime temperatures in late July soared ever higher as sweat dripped down the backs of hard-hat covered heads.

Visitors and locals alike flocked to Delcambre for the final day of the 73rd Annual Shrimp Festival, enjoying a vibrant atmosphere filled with food, music, and camaraderie.

First-time festival-goer Joe Tamporello expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “We just come out here, and got some food to eat. And we’re going to have a couple of drinks and listen to the band.”

After a 10-day delay, inshore shrimp season opened Monday. Louisiana Shrimp Association President Acy Cooper says the later start to the season is actually a very good thing.

“They wanted to open August 1, and everybody was pretty much against it because we still had a lot of small shrimp. So they wanted to leave it closed for a couple more weeks to see if we could get a little bit bigger size,” Cooper said.

Louisiana’s seafood producers have long braved harsh conditions to bring their catches to our plates. Aside from the hazards of the job, they have also had to navigate increasingly challenging market conditions over the past two decades as cheap imports have flooded the U.S., pushing down prices. Since 2021, the U.S. shrimp industry has lost almost half of its market value, according to the Southern Shrimp Alliance.