The 1989 Shrimpboat Blockade - Part 1

On July 22, 1989, Shrimpers on the Texas Gulf coast blockaded Harbors and waterways around Texas. They were protesting the use of TEDS (turtle excluder devices) on their nets. The Coast Guard tried to disperse them, but they held firm and blocked all access through the Corpus Christi ship channel and the harbor to Port Aransas. They finally dispersed on July 23 on their own free will and headed out to sea.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• port
• aransas
• shrimpboat
• blockade
• 1989
• protest
• history

[jorduner]

Here's something I've never understood: how can you spend your whole life, and make your living, in the wild, yet have no respect for nature? Shrimpers claim to "love the sea" but it's a lie. They exploit the sea. And we're supposed to feel bad when they lose work because they can't fish... gee, sorry you can't exploit our shared natural resources for your personal gain.

[Goofus5453]

There has been many, many people put out of work because of a goddamn useless turtle, witch was never endangerd in the first place. There are so many turtles now you can walk on there backs and not get wet yet they are still on the endangerd list. If someone evers adds up all the tax payer money that has been pissed away on turtles it would proble shock the world.

[danmilam]

"They finally dispersed on July 23 on their own free will and headed out to sea."

I'm sure the US Marshalls seizing boats had nothing to do with them leaving... and you forgot to mention, even after the protests, they still had to use the TEDS...

[JimPrewitt]

I was there. This hurricane Celia did not happen.

Totally BOGUS.

[betenoir2000]

They were very poorly designed, and allowed the majority of the shrimpers' legal catch to escape from the net in the hope that turtles would swim out as well.

I wish that someone had a video of the U.S. warship that blasted through the blockade. It was pretty entertaining.

[DayJetFan]

Ok, so what was so bad about those T.E.D things?

[sean78413]

i was there on our offshore boat we gave em some beer to let us through

[danegr]

Where can we find out more about this?

[eddieesquivelburrito]

My husband was a commercial fisherman and he was out fishing when this accured. The teds is the reason a lot of people lost their boats. I remember this very well.

Thanks for the memories.

[commercialfisherman]

glad u posted