Clik here to view.
“All of my life, I have been a commercial fisherman and boat owner,” said Byron Despaux. “In the good times and bad, I’ve seen it all. I understand the changes in the fishing industry and the challenges ahead.” Photo: Ed Lallo/Louisiana Seafood News
by Keith Taylor/Louisiana Seafood News
For more than 40 years, Byron Despaux has fished the waters around Barataria, La., and the open sea of the Gulf of Mexico.
He fished catfish and crab from a flat-bottomed skiff when he was 12. He trawled for shrimp with his uncle on a 50-foot boat along the coastline as a teen. When he graduated from high school, he started working on an 86-foot offshore shrimp boat and not long after the owner made him captain.
He partnered on a 95-foot twin-engine offshore trawler in 1980. He owned and operated it, the Lonely Nights, until the price of fuel and increased regulations forced him to sell in 2005. Now he’s back on the coastal waters in a 35-foot boat fishing for shrimp and crab.
Experience Gives Unique Perspective
Clik here to view.
Despaux (left) prepares to bring his 35-foot shrimp boat into dock. Photo: Byron Despaux Archives
So, when he says he’s seen it all in the commercial fishing industry, you can believe him. His experience reflects the ups and downs of Louisiana shrimping and provide Despaux with a unique perspective on the past, present and future of the industry.
“I think the first thing I would tell anyone about this industry is it’s never going to be like it was in the ‘80s,” referring to when private owners could operate large refrigerator in the Gulf of Mexico. “Those boats could burn 15,000 gallons of fuel in twenty days. At $4 a gallon, those economics just don’t work anymore.”
That’s one reason he believes he can make a significant contribution to the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board as a new member.
“All of my life, I have been a commercial fisherman and boat owner,” he said. “In the good times and bad, I’ve seen it all. I understand the changes in the fishing industry and the challenges ahead.”
Volunteering for Commercial Fishermen
Clik here to view.
“I have worked my heart out for this business,” Despaux said. “People ask me why I keep going back. It’s because I love it.” Photo: Ed Lallo/Louisiana Seafood News
He’s also been a consistent volunteer for commercial fishermen. He has served on the Louisiana Seafood Board including one term as chairman as well as several other commercial fishing business-related organizations. He’s not afraid to be outspoken, but he also thinks the board should present a consistent, unified voice to promote the industry.
“I don’t mind serving on a board to help the industry and I also don’t mind giving my opinion,” he said. “One thing though that people have to understand about me is I might not always agree, but when the vote is taken, I will back it up.”
He said the board contains a good mix of professionals and business owners across the spectrum of the Louisiana seafood industry. The 58-year-old entrepreneur said he brings a strong background not only in his industry, but in his commitment to assist other fishermen.
“I have worked my heart out for this business,” he said. “People ask me why I keep going back. They don’t understand why I keep working so many long hours for so little return. It’s because I love it.
A Dedicated Family Man
Clik here to view.
Despaux’s 95-foot shrimp boat “Lonely Nights” was his first offshore shrimp boat.. Photo: Byron Despaux Archives
Despaux is a family man, with a wife, two children and four grandchildren. He is a devoted member of his church and proud of his community. He said that dedication can be a valuable asset when he advocates on behalf of the seafood industry.
“I always try to be the best I can be when I say I will do something,” he said. “I lose some business time to serve, but I think it’s worthwhile to make that sacrifice for the community and my industry.”
Despaux is quick to focus on the most important issues facing commercial fishermen and the seafood industry: regulation, fuel cost and imports.
“The price of shrimp is being driven down while the costs of doing business are going up,” he said. “You have to have boat permits, fishing licenses, net licenses and inspections, at both state and federal levels. Those costs add up. Then you add the cost of fuel at different levels of government. That all adds up.”
Common-Sense Regulations Needed
The long time fisherman that common-sense regulation is necessary, but he sees the results of what he considers over-regulation.
“I know you need regulations, but the way they are set up now, it really singles out independent boat owners so that only a few fishermen have the capacity to survive,” he said.
Clik here to view.
Despeaux (right) listens as Jim Gossen, chairman of Sysco Louisiana Foods, as he addresses the orientation meeting for the new Seafood Board. Photo: Ed Lallo/Louisiana Seafood News
He also sees a distinct, if not bright, future for commercial shrimpers.
“The fishermen who can adapt can survive,” he Despaux said. “What we (the board) will have to do is help market fresh Louisiana shrimp and seafood as unique, quality products that can compete with cheaper, farmed imports.”
The plain-spoken Despaux chuckles as he emphasizes what customers want.
“People want fresh shrimp,” he said. “It’s that simple. One of our challenges is to help people understand that although they may pay a little more for Louisiana shrimp, the quality makes up for the cost.”
However, he is dead serious when he talks about his bottom-line goal for wants for Louisiana fishermen and the seafood industry.
“We need to bring more money at the dock for commercial fishermen,” he said. “That’s my goal. I want to bring the most money to commercial fishermen that I can possibly bring.”
The post Byron Despaux Brings Experienced Perspective to Seafood Board appeared first on Louisiana Seafood News.