cean creatures have provided a way of life for 

 the Hopkins family for many generations. "This is my heritage," explains 

 Glenn Hopkins, who lives in the small, Pamlico County shrimping town 

 of Vandemere. "This is what my dad, and my granddad, and my great- 

 granddad did. I was born and raised into this." 



But, times are changing along the coast. As domestic shrimp prices 

 plummet to compete with imported supplies, and the cost of gas and 

 insurance continue to rise, Hopkins and other North Carolina shrimpers 

 are struggling to maintain tradition. 



Hopkins has known no other life. By the time he was 6 years old, he 

 was going out with his dad on their trawler. The boat was an entertaining 

 place for the curious youth — he would cause all sorts of trouble talking 

 on the radio and playing with his dad's catch. 



Now he recalls watching his dad work. "It just seemed natural, 

 like what you were supposed 

 to do. There's no other way to 

 describe it." 



It wasn't long before 

 Hopkins was going out on his 

 dad's boat by himself. And not 

 long after that he had his own 

 boat — a 25-foot schooner — on 

 which he still prefers to work solo. 

 Why? 

 Freedom. 



"It's the freedom of being 

 out on the water by yourself, 

 doing your own thing, making 

 your own way," says Hopkins. 



For that reason, Hopkins 

 continues crabbing and shrimping — not because it pays the bills. He 

 drives a gas truck in the winter to make ends meet. 



"I don't want to do it no more, but I have to," laments Hopkins, who 

 has tried to find a better job to no avail. 



Last spring Hopkins sat in the lobby of a nursing home. He was 

 there to apply for a maintenance job. Hopkins, who never finished high 

 school, was told that the three people who applied in front of him had 

 college degrees. Hopkins, frustrated and discouraged, turned in a blank 

 application and went home. 



Daunting Issues 



What challenges do shrimpers like Hopkins face? The issue is 

 complicated, but industry and government officials often point to the 

 global economy that brings increasing amounts of imported shrimp to the 

 United States. 



"We are not a player in the market anymore," says Doug Cross, 

 co-owner of Pamlico Packing. "The days of being able to compete on a 

 commodity level are over." 



Shrimp consumption in the United States has almost tripled since 

 1980, and imports have accommodated the expansion in the market, 

 according to a report by the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers 

 (TAA) program. 



A survey conducted by the National Fisheries Institute (NFT) 

 indicates that for the first time in 2002, American consumption of shrimp, 

 at 4 pounds per person, exceeded canned tuna consumption, at 3. 1 

 pounds per person. 



To meet consumer demands, shrimp imports not only have been 

 part of the U.S. market, but also have dominated for more than two 

 decades. An unprecedented increase in the supply of imported shrimp 

 occurred between 2001 and 2003 — such that foreign shrimp now 

 account for 90 percent of the market, according to the TAA report. 

 Several factors — mainly an increase in European Union tariffs 



and food safety requirements, 

 along with a weak U.S. dollar 

 — caused shrimp exporters all 

 over the world to become more 

 focused on the U.S. market, says 

 Scott Baker, a North Carolina Sea 

 Grant fisheries specialist based in 

 Wilmington. 



When adjusted for inflation, 

 shrimp prices are at a 30-year 

 low, according to statistics from 

 the N.C. Division of Marine 

 Fisheries (DMF). The dock 

 price in 2001 of $2.27 per pound 

 adjusts to only 53 cents per pound 

 in 1972 dollars. By 2003, the 

 price dropped even farther — $1 .77 per pound dockside or 40 cents per 

 pound in 1972 dollars. 



While he cannot statistically prove that the increase in foreign 

 shrimp directly caused the domestic price to drop, it certainly looks like a 

 primary factor, says Brian Cheuvront, a DMF economist. 



Lagging Supplies 



The majority of shrimp imports are farm-raised, whereas most 

 domestic shrimp are wild-caught. 



Imported farm-raised shrimp are desired in some market sectors 

 because of the uniformity of the product and its consistent availability. 

 As domestic catches often are subject to nature's whims, the U.S. market 

 is simply unable to offer a competitive product on an international scale, 

 says DMF Director Preston Pate. 



"You can order popcorn shrimp at Red Lobster," Pate explains. 

 "And when you get your dinner, it's 30 little shrimp — and they are all 

 exactly the same size." 



Continued 



COASTWATCH 19 



