The Southern Shrimp Alliance named Blake Price to the group’s new deputy director position, a move the alliance says “aims to improve communication and coordination with shrimp fishermen, strengthen strategic partnerships with external groups, and provide another dedicated, full-time advocate for the U.S. shrimp industry during this challenging and opportunity-filled time.”
Price of Swansboro, N.C., married into a multigenerational North Carolina shrimping family, has a long career of collaborating with shrimpers and representing their interests as a fisheries biologist.
As a research fisheries biologist contracted with NMFS, Price “researched, tested, and improved fishing gear in collaboration with fishermen. In this capacity, he has already worked with shrimpers in each state and fishery regulators, gaining a strong understanding of the industry’s sustainability and fisheries management laws and regulations,” according to the alliance.
Price also worked to reduce disparities between environmental practices required of U.S. shrimpers compared to foreign shrimp producers when he was as coordinator of the U.S. State Department’s enforcement of gear requirements for foreign countries.
By bringing in Price the alliance is making a clear statement with this new position that we’re serious about representing every shrimper from Texas to North Carolina,” said Leann Bosarge of the Bosarge Boats fleet in Pascagoula, Miss., who chaired the search committee for the shrimp alliance. “It will be great to have another full-time industry advocate representing American shrimping interests at this critical time and we are confident that Blake will be an influential industry representative.”
“I’m passionate about preserving the shrimper’s way of life, our coastal communities, and access to superior-tasting seafood,” said Price. “I don’t just want to save the livelihoods of those remaining in the shrimp industry, but to see investment and growth that incentivizes the next generation of fishermen. To do this, we need a large, well-coordinated team that is using the same playbook.”
