After Hurricane Ian, Fort Myers Beach shrimping industry shrinks but hopes for rebirth
Once the winds cleared and the storm surge receded, the Fort Myers Beach shrimpers who rode out Hurricane Ian on massive boats knew they had a major problem: most of the fleet was ashore.
More than a few salty words were uttered.
The scene on San Carlos Island was catastrophic with battered boats, some heavier than commercial planes, shoved into mangroves, parking lots and buildings. It looked as if the industry that had been a waterfront staple since the mid-century could go extinct and scuttle shrimping jobs for good.
From the archives: Shrimp and Grit: Fighting to save the Fort Myers Beach shrimping fleet after Ian's devastation
But with tons of persistence, months of sweat and gobs of government money, most of the 40-some boats in the Fort Myers Beach fleet were put back in the water in an $8.45 million recovery operation.
Yet many boats have not gone back out fishing. Some were deconstructed due to storm-related damage, others still need repairs. Several left for other ports. And the ones that belonged to Trico Shrimp Company, the other long-standing larger shrimping operation on San Carlos Island, were sold as the company shut down after the hurricane.
More on Trico: Longtime Fort Myers Beach shrimping operation dissolving after disputes between owners
A year after Ian, Fort Myers Beach may no longer claim the title of the biggest pink shrimp port in Florida.
But for the boats that have been repaired and back out on the water, the shrimping’s been good – even if the shrimp prices are not – and there are big dreams for what the waterfront could be.
“It's certainly more fun to talk about the future than it is the recent past,” said Grant Erickson, an owner of Erickson & Jensen Shrimp Packers, which was started by his grandparents and is also being run by his daughter, Anna Erickson. It is now the last of the larger historic shrimping companies on San Carlos Island, which also houses independent boat owners and companies.
“We’ve got a chance to redo and renew,” Erickson said. “We think we have a great idea that this whole area, this working waterfront, will be called Shrimp Town. And … if anybody’s got a better name than Shrimp Town or Shrimp City, we would like to know about it.”
'The most challenging year of my life'
Grant Erickson knows the shrimping business has its ups and downs. But Ian was a Grand Canyon-sized valley.
“I would say it's the most challenging year of my life,” Erickson said. “Not only was my business destroyed, but my home had three feet of water that rolled through it.”
Erickson & Jensen had 11 boats before Ian. They were left with eight after the storm and now have five that are fishing, said Jesse Clapham, fleet manager at Erickson & Jensen.
Along with patching up the boats, they’ve made repairs to the office, the fish house, where they sell shrimp to the public, and the docks. “Slowly, but surely, we’re getting everything put back together,” Clapham said. “A year later, we’re just getting the last pilings put in the docks where we can tie up.”
Anna Erickson, who is poised to take over the business, said “the five boats that are fishing are coming back full every time” but “we’re pretty much still at break-even in the company.”
“A lot of the guys are still gone. But the ones that are still fishing, they're happy to be doing what they know.”
Logan Lyons is the captain of the Malolo, among the first boats to go out shrimping after Ian. He’s in his 60s and has been a captain for four decades. While the industry has struggled with higher fuel prices and imported farm-raised shrimp that led to lower shrimp prices for decades, they’re currently in another low.
Lyons is behind on bills and working more to try to recoup the lost income.
“We’re taking on water, virtually,” he said. “We’re catching the shrimp but we’re just not getting paid anything for it. ... I’m taking chances every time I go. It's been a few times, we maybe covered the fuel, and the crew got their share. But the boat and the owner, they didn't make anything. It's hard.”
Grant Erickson admitted it's a struggle but is proud to retain the remaining shrimpers.
“I want to keep them in a job, even if I'm not making any money. I want them to be able to feed their families and them to keep the tools working: the boats. So onward we go, and hopefully better times come soon.”
Despite the uncertainty in the industry, Clapham would like to see more young people join the shrimping ranks. “I’d like to see a new generation come down here that want to have an adventure in their life,” he said. “Every day is something new out there. You’re like a pirate, you know?”
A vision for 'Shrimp City'
Anna Erickson would like to build a retail market at Erickson & Jensen.
The retail market at neighboring Trico was destroyed by Hurricane Ian and it never reopened. Now that Trico has dissolved, one of the former Trico owners plans to open another seafood market on San Carlos Island, but at a different location.
Anna Erickson would also like to see the waterfront become more of a space “where people can learn more about the culture … Really bringing the history back to the docks.”
Her father Grant Erickson also sees the potential to bring visitors by water taxi from places like Margaritaville and Bowditch Point beach. “They can have a dinner of shrimp and a cold beer,” he said. “We want people to come down and be able to enjoy it.”
Connect with Janine Zeitlin at jzeitlin@gannett.com. Please support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Fort Myers Beach shrimping fleet shrinks after Hurricane Ian: Photos
