Georgia shrimpers face uncertainty as fuel prices surge ahead of shrimping season

DARIEN, Ga. (WTOC) - Shrimping season in Georgia is almost underway, but with fuel prices spiking amid the conflict in Iran, local crews may face higher costs and tougher conditions on the water.

“The price was jumping up real quick,” said Captain Wynn Gale, a local shrimper.

Diesel prices across the U.S. have surged in recent months. According to AAA, the average price in Georgia is now $5.27 per gallon, a sharp increase from the last time Gale filled up.

“The last I bought was $2.62,” Gale said.

Fuel is one of the biggest expenses shrimpers face. Now many are rethinking how they’ll operate this season.

“It’s going to affect the way I fish, it’s going to affect the way he’s fish, and everybody else fishes,” Gale said.

Gale says he and others may need to make fewer trips, and only head out when conditions are best, trying to maximize each run to cover costs.

The Southern Shrimp Alliance warns that if domestic fleets can’t keep up, consumers may turn to imported shrimp instead.

“There’s a fine line from, you know, how much you can charge to your customers compared to how much you can pay the boats. And, you know, if you get too high on your customers, your customers are going to go away,” said John Wallace, board member of the Southern Shrimp Alliance.

For now, boats remain docked. And in McIntosh County, the uncertainty surrounding fuel prices may be just as challenging as the wait for the season to begin.