01/24/2026
This is a huge problem!
๐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐โฆ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ก๐ง ๐ช๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ฆ from Andrew Godley, Founder and President of Parish Brewing Company:
โ๐ข๐ป๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ด๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ต๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ ๐๐ผ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐, ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ต๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐.
๐ฆ
The menhaden reduction industry isnโt some small local business harvesting bait. This is a global conglomerate skilled at completely removing vast sources of protein from every coastal river delta system in the world and using that free protein as feed in their aquaculture farms (shrimp, salmon, etc.). The only two companies that process and use the menhaden in Louisiana are wholly owned by Cooke Aquaculture and Oceana Group, companies not based in the USA. In fact, they own some of the largest shrimp farms in Central America as well.
Just today, I saw a statement by the Louisiana Shrimp Association rightfully calling out how cheap imported farmed shrimp is devastating our local, wild-caught, mom-and-pop shrimp industry. Sh*****ng effort in Louisiana continues to fall because the prices they get at the dock have been driven down to rock bottom by oversupply of cheap imported farmed shrimp.
Why are imported shrimp so cheap? Simply, the shrimp farms rely on Louisiana menhaden as a cheap and abundant feedstock. Ironically, the Louisiana Shrimp Association came out in support of the menhaden industry on this current buffer issue. There are no shrimp farms in Louisiana; almost all farmed shrimp comes from overseas. Some of these shrimp farms are owned by the menhaden companies, so the vertical integration further lowers cost. Imported shrimp is so cheap because we allow the free, unlimited removal of menhaden from our coast.
Louisianaโs policy on menhaden is actively subsidizing imported farmed shrimp. Louisiana shrimpers are being undercut in global markets by shrimp whose most important cost inputโfeed proteinโcomes from Louisiana waters at zero cost, creating a state-enabled subsidy that works directly against our local shrimpers.โ โ Andrew Godley
*For reference, the below header images were taken directly from Seajoyโs website, a subsidiary of Cooke Inc. (link in comments).
REMINDER: CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS!
