Today’s blessing-of-the-fleet event at the Brownsville Shrimp Basin felt similar to the one a year ago, with a sermon from Father Mark Watters and shortage of workers still an issue.
Today’s blessing-of-the-fleet event at the Brownsville Shrimp Basin felt similar to the one a year ago, with a sermon from Father Mark Watters and shortage of workers still an issue.
After facing a slight scare of almost not making it to Brownsville, Watters said his 13th year blessing the Brownsville-Port Isabel shrimp fleet was not only a number, but a message of multiplication of double profusion.
“Now, 13, in the kingdom of heaven, that number, when you see it in scripture, what the enemy has stolen and made people superstitious about is actually a kingdom number that equates to double profusion.”
Still, the shortage of foreign workers will remain a challenge the shrimp industry will have to overcome.
Andrea Hance, executive director of the Texas Shrimp Association, said only a third of boat owners got confirmation they will receive H-2B workers.
“Last year, [H-2B] visas came late, but they came,” Hance said. “This year, it was a lottery system, so only about 30 percent of them have the extra man power to fish. So, a lot of these boats are going out without a full crew.”
Hance also said she and the Texas Department of Agriculture are working on resolving another issue facing the industry, misinformation presented by restaurants that tell consumers their shrimp is from the Gulf of Mexico.
Despite the multiple challenges, Watters’ message promised, “there will be no disappointment in this season in every effort that we put forward.”
