FROM BOAT-TO-FORK:

LESSONS LEARNED FROM MARKET-BASED ADAPTATION IN DELCAMBRE, LA

Rural Sociological Society New Orleans, La August 3, 2014

Candace K. May

Assistant Professor of Sociology

Boat-to-Fork: Direct Seafood Marketing

Questions

1. How do state, regional, and local political, economic, and fisheries institutions foster, support , oppose, or create barriers for local market-based adaptation strategies among fisheries?

2. What forms of local and individual political, social, and economic, built, and natural capital are necessary for adoption of the boat-to-fork program?

3. What are broader social consequences of the boat-to-fork program – for traditional marketing mechanisms, such as roadside peddling and fish houses; fisheries infrastructure, such as seafood processors; local businesses and community members; or, expansion of direct marketing to additional local products/agricultural goods?

Case Study Design

• Review of Documents &Existing Statistics

• Field Work – Observations

• Seafood & Farmers’ Markets

• Public Meetings

• Town and Environment

– Interviews • DDS fisherpeople (fishers, dealers, and processors)

• Non-DDS Fisherpeople

• Non-fisher community members

• Representatives from Twin Parish Port, Steering Committee, LSU Ag Center & Sea Grant, and Daily Operations Staff

– Purposive Sampling and Chain Referral

Delcambre, La • Population Size

– 1,866 (2010)

– 2,127 (2000)

• Demographics – 51.6% Female

– 35.2 Median Age

– 80.9% White

– 16% Black

– 4.7 % Hispanic/Latino

– 0.9 % Asian

– 0.6% Native American

– $36,667 Household Median • $41,734 (La)

• $52,762 (US)

• Economy – Agriculture, Fishing, Seafood

Processing, and Oil and Gas Services

• Seafood – 150 US Ports – 2004

• 35th in Value • 49th in Lbs of Seafood

– 2012 • No longer listed as a significant

commercial fishing port

• Location – Central Coastal – Overlaps Iberia & Vermillion

Parishes – Delcambre Canal/Bayou Carlin

offers direct access to the Gulf

Delcambre

0.8 square miles Base Flood Elevation – 11ft

Hurricane Rita, 2005

Recovery from Rita: Elevation

Hurricane Ike, 2008

Deepwater Horizon, 2010

Hurricane Isaac, 2012

102

$146

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

Mill

ion

s La Shrimp, Pounds & Value

10,670

$4,500

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

Mill

ion

s Shrimp Imports, Pounds & Value • 90% of seafood;

50% is farmed; 30% is shrimp (by value)

• 90% of shrimp consumed in in the US is farmed over seas

• 25% of US Seafood • 2nd, behind Alaska • 42% of shrimp

Nominal and Adjusted $/Lb

$1.41

$1.44

$0.98

$0.42

$0.47 $0.29

$0.00

$0.50

$1.00

$1.50

$2.00

$2.50

$3.00

$3.50

1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

La Nominal

La Adjused, 1996 Imported Nominal Imported Adjusted, 1996

Fewer but Larger Firms?

Delcambre, “A town to smart to die”

• 2006, After Katrina/Rita • Town/Port Steering

Committee – 2 Lawyers – 2 Business-persons – 1 Engineer – Executive Director of Non-

Profit – Council-person

• Informal Networks – Childhood Friends, Church,

School, Social Functions

• LSU Ag Center/Sea Grant

• Tasks – Identify Projects for Long-

terms Econ Development – Build Recreational

Community – Grants/Financing – Identify legal Issues – Seek University Assistance – Public Involvement &

Media

• Monthly Meetings – Delcambre Mayor,

Vermillion Parish Police Jury, Iberia Parish Council, Twin Parish Port Commission

• New Recreational Boat Launch w/ Expanded Parking

• Additional Piers/Docking for Fishers

• Seafood Market Pavilion

• Fishing & Observation Pier

• Marina w/ Long Term Recreational Storage, Dockside Facilities, & Parking

The Port of Delcambre once had more than 100 shrimp boats in its fleet. Today, there are fewer than 30. The Delcambre Direct program is helping revitalize the fishing community (Coastal Clips 2011, No. 22).

New Pavilion

Branding

La Direct Seafood

Preliminary Findings: Interviews

• Steering Committee/Sea Grant (4/3-8)

– Difficulties getting fishers involved

• Demand is greater than supply

– Initial (?) push back from processors and dealers

• Vietnamese processor processes Vermillion Bay Sweet shrimp

– Public informed after the fact

– Whole project has been experimental

• Community Members (2/5-10)

– Little knowledge of the program or developments

Preliminary Findings: Interviews

• DDS Fishers (2/5-10)

– Always sold direct, now ‘losing’ customers

– Vermilion Bay Sweet

• “Chemical Free”

• Vermilion Bay

– Reallocation of dock space to recreational boats

– High shrimp prices at dock

• Non-DDS Fishers (0/5-10)

Preliminary Findings: Observations

• Extremely strong place attachment

• Enthusiastic participation in Seafood & Farmers’ Market

• Enthusiastic consumer demand

• Local grocery, fish house, & fish shops accept SNAP

• Numerous direct seafood marketing projects across the state

• DDS participating fishers are not necessarily ‘local’

Other Interesting Findings & Further Questions

• Informal Interviews – Interdependent relationship between fish houses

and small-scale fishers • “Sold my soul to the company store”

• Credit/debt keeps small fishers fishing

– Lack of trust for LSU/Sea Grant?

• Participation & Accountability?

• Compatibility/Competition with existing local mechanisms?

• What exactly does local mean in this context?

Questions?