The first episode of In Hot Water: Texas takes us to the Shrimporee—a festival in Aransas Pass, the self-proclaimed “Shrimp Capital of Texas”!

But the shrimp fishery has been in decline for many years due to a variety of reasons: the influx of imported shrimp, extreme weather, habitat degradation, along with the high cost of doing business.

Finally, there are labor issues, which are not unique to the shrimp fishery and are experienced throughout the entire U.S. fishing sector—especially a declining interest in the industry among younger generations.

There’s no quick-fix for seafood harvesters in the Gulf, but climate solutions do exist. From encouraging species diversification to actively involving frontline communities, there are changemakers leading a new path for seafood in Texas.

Produced by Seafood and Gender Equality (SAGE) and Seaworthy, the “In Hot Water” podcast explores SEAFOOD and CLIMATE JUSTICE in distinct regions.

Episode Transcript

Episode Guide

• :00 Intro
• 00:49 The birth of In Hot Water, a Climate and Seafood Podcast
• 03:34 Roland Rodriguez, from the Aransas Pass Chamber of Commerce, walks us through the history of the self-proclaimed “Shrimp Capital of Texas” and its 75 year old festival celebrating all things shrimp, the Shrimporee!
• 08:11 Crystal Sanders-Alvarado breaks down the decline of the Gulf of Mexico’s shrimp fishery as it relates to climate change. Despite a popular yet unfounded belief, Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) are not the sole reason.
• 13:16 Regina Garcia Peña, owner and CEO of Philly Seafood and a second generation shrimp producer, shares the challenges facing the Gulf’s shrimp industry
• 23:09 Regina reflects on her life as a woman in seafood and recounts the incredible story of how her father and mother built the family business
• 29:11 Liz Smith, formerly of the International Crane Foundation, describes Texas’ unique coast and the habitat degradation the area is experiencing
• 31:24 Suraida Nañez-James, CEO and founder of the Gulf Reach Institute, recounts another challenge in the region’s seafood production: the youth aren’t interested
• 33:40 Gail Sutton, director for operations for Palacios Marine Agricultural Research, is providing an alternate career choice for shrimpers: oyster farming
• 36:31 Addressing food waste—in our case, seafood waste—is a climate solution. Alyssa Lopez of Gulf of Mexico Ike Jime walks us through Ike Jime, a method of dispatching fish that keeps a high quality product fresher for longer
• 39:32 Ultimately, solutions to the climate crisis must involve the community andbe community-sourced

Resources:

1. Citations:
   1. https://bit.ly/3xhdaCd
   2. https://bit.ly/4cDE8US
   3. https://bit.ly/3VD6ZSZ
   4. https://bit.ly/3TEUrYA
2. Recommend this series to anyone who is curious about how climate change is affecting our seafood producing regions.