The Louisiana Shrimp Association issued a sharp public response this week after it said CCA Louisiana tagged the group in a Facebook post it described as an attempt to draw shrimpers into an attack on Louisiana’s menhaden fishery.
According to their site, CCA (Coastal Conservation Association) Louisiana is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of Louisiana’s marine resources. Their work also includes influencing how the state's fisheries are managed, including pushing for regulatory outcomes that often conflict with commercial fishing perspectives.
Saving Seafood reported what the shrimpers wrote in a statement, “Let us be absolutely clear about where we stand…attempting to drag us into their ongoing attack on commercial fisheries.” Showing CCA’s broader campaign against working fishermen.
In the statement, the shrimpers pointed to what they described as a long series of policy losses for commercial fishermen in Louisiana, including the loss of gill net fisheries, restrictions on mullet fishing, and the designation of redfish and speckled trout as game fish- moves they said have steadily narrowed access to traditional fisheries.
With fewer options available, the shrimpers said many fishing families have become increasingly dependent on shrimp, though only seasonally. “Now, many commercial fishermen are left with shrimp as our only primary income, and only for about six months out of the year,” the statement said, warning that shrimpers could possibly be next. The group cited efforts in North Carolina last year as an example of what it believes could follow similar campaigns against menhaden in Louisiana.
The response from the shrimpers was triggered by a January 24 Facebook post from CCA that highlighted comments from Andrew Godley, the founder and president of Parish Brewing Company. In the post, Godley argued that the state’s menhaden fishery contributes to cheaper imported farmed shrimp by supplying fishmeal to overseas aquaculture operations, which he claimed harms domestic shrimpers.
The shrimp association pushed back strongly on that framing, arguing that CCA’s goal is the elimination of commercial fisheries altogether. “Let there be no confusion about the end game: CCA will not stop until every commercial fishery is shut down,” the statement said. “This is not conservation- it is greed and control.”
The shrimpers also raised concerns about accountability, noting that commercial reporting requirements are in place while the recreational sector is described as lacking reporting. “Every commercial fishery- shrimp, crabs, oysters, crawfish, menhaden, and finfish- must report every pound we harvest through trip tickets,” the statement said, while alleging recreational fisheries face no comparable requirements.
The shrimpers called for legislative action to require catch reporting for recreational fisheries and advocacy groups involved in fisheries policy debates. The statement closed with a firm refusal to take sides against other fisheries, emphasizing solidarity across the commercial sector.
“Commercial fishermen will never take sides with CCA, and we will not be used to help shut down any fishery,” the shrimpers wrote. “The Louisiana Shrimp Association stands united with all commercial fishermen—menhaden, shrimp, and every working fishery in Louisiana and across this country.”
