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Florida Keys fishermen seek tariffs as costs rise and prices fall

<i>WFOR via CNN Newsource</i><br/>Local fishermen in the Florida Keys say they are looking for a lifeline as costs go up and the value of their catch goes down.
WFOR via CNN Newsource
Local fishermen in the Florida Keys say they are looking for a lifeline as costs go up and the value of their catch goes down.

By Steve Maugeri

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    FLORIDA KEYS, Florida (WFOR) — Local fishermen in the Florida Keys say they are looking for a lifeline as costs go up and the value of their catch goes down. They hope tariffs on foreign fish imports can help level the playing field.

Rising expenses on the water Replacing hydraulic hoses is a recurring cost for fisherman Jorge Blanco’s boat. He got a discount on parts today but said if he had paid the full price, it would take more than one fishing trip to make that money back.

“The amount of lobster I would have to catch—that’s ten thousand pounds of lobster,” Blanco said.

Blanco was featured in a recent YouTube video in which he hoped to sound the alarm on his industry. He said expenses have gone up, but the value of the lobsters he catches has gone down.

Cheaper imports undercutting prices Blanco said foreign fish imported into the U.S. have lowered the market value of local catches. He said buyers prefer fish from overseas because it is sold for less than his asking price.

“It’s crippled us. They’re asking for a quarter of what we’re asking for,” Blanco said.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. seafood imports have increased almost every year from 1995 through 2023. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the U.S. now imports nearly 80% of its seafood.

Last year, the top seafood importers into the U.S. were Canada, Chile, India, Indonesia and Vietnam. The Trump administration has imposed 35% tariffs on Canada and 50% tariffs on India.

“I think a tariff could bring up the price on that product, will discourage these restaurants and these buyers to buy overseas and buy a local product here,” Blanco said.

Push for local pride Jerome Young, executive director of the Florida Keys Commercial Fisherman’s Association, said food lovers in the Keys would appreciate knowing their seafood was caught locally.

“Domestically people would pay more if they just knew,” Young said. “They’ve gotta know what they’re eating.”

Blanco said other variables he has to worry about every day on the water include never being able to guarantee he will catch enough fish to make the trip worth it. On top of that, there are limits on how many fish he can bring to shore.

Blanco said if the market does not change in the next year, he may have to shut his business down.

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