1981. THE TARIFFS COULD ACTUALLY MEAN BIG BUSINESS FOR LOCAL SHRIMPERS. WESH TWO’S MEGAN MORIARTY JOINS US LIVE FROM PORT CANAVERAL. AND SHRIMPERS IS TELLING YOU THAT THEY STAND TO MAKE MORE MONEY. HERE AT PORT CANAVERAL, SHRIMPERS GO OUT ON BOATS LIKE THIS ONE REGULARLY HOPING TO FILL THOSE NETS WITH AS MANY SHRIMP AS POSSIBLE. ONE OF THE LOCAL SHRIMPERS WHO GOES OUT ON THIS BOAT TELLS ME THAT WE IMPORTED MORE THAN 1 BILLION POUNDS OF SHRIMP LAST YEAR, AND FOR THE CUSTOMER, IT’S USUALLY CHEAPER TO BUY IT THAT WAY. BUT TARIFFS COULD FORCE FAMILIES TO SWITCH TO BUYING LOCAL. FLORIDA IS WELL KNOWN FOR ITS FRESH FISH, AND IN BREVARD COUNTY, YOU CAN FIND YOUR FAIR SHARE OF LOCALLY CAUGHT SEAFOOD. WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN DOMESTIC FISH, SO WE SOURCE LOCALLY HERE IN THE COUNTY. CHRISTOPHER MERRIFIELD IS A SEAFOOD BUYER FOR WILD OCEAN MARKET IN TITUSVILLE. HE’S BEEN IN THE INDUSTRY FOR 20 YEARS AND HAS SEEN THE MARKET EBB AND FLOW. I CAN TELL YOU FROM THE WHOLESALE SIDE, I’VE DEFINITELY LOST RESTAURANTS TO IMPORTS, SO I’M REALLY HOPING THAT THESE TARIFFS WILL BRING THEM BACK AROUND TO MY PRODUCT. ACCORDING TO THE SOUTHERN SHRIMPERS ALLIANCE, THE PRICE OF IMPORTED SHRIMP HAS DROPPED BY MORE THAN $1.5 BILLION SINCE 2021, CAUSING THE U.S. SHRIMP INDUSTRY TO LOSE NEARLY HALF OF ITS MARKET VALUE. SEAN SNAITH, DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE FOR ECONOMIC FORECASTING AT UCF, SAYS IT’S CHEAPER ABROAD BECAUSE SOME COUNTRIES DON’T HAVE THE SAME FARMING AND FISHING REGULATIONS OR LABOR LAWS. PRESIDENT TRUMP’S TARIFFS ON IMPORTED SEAFOOD, SPECIFICALLY SHRIMP, FORCED IMPORTERS TO PASS THAT TARIFF ONTO THE CONSUMER, RAISING THE PRICE. WHEN YOU CHANGE THE RULES OF THE GAME, THE PLAYERS WILL PLAY THE GAME DIFFERENTLY. IF THE PRESIDENT’S TARIFFS EQUAL THE PRICE PLAYING FIELD, SHRIMPERS SAY THEY BELIEVE CUSTOMERS WILL THEN REACH FOR THE LOCAL PRODUCT INSTEAD OF THE IMPORT BECAUSE THEY SAY IT’S BETTER QUALITY. THE AMOUNT OF IMPORTS IS MAINLY FARM RAISED, AND IN THOSE FARMS THEY USE ANTIBIOTICS AND OTHER ITEMS THAT WE DON’T USE IN OUR DOMESTIC SEAFOOD. AND SO IN THAT SENSE, IT IS DEFINITELY HELPING THE PUBLIC BECAUSE THEY’RE GOING TO CONSUME A HEALTHIER PRODUCT. BUT IT COULD MEAN THAT YOUR IMPORTED FROZEN FISH OPTION WON’T BE AS CHEAP AS IT USED TO BE. YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES AND CONSUMERS WILL HAVE SOME CHOICES TO MAKE. AND THOSE AT WILD OCEAN MARKETS SAY THAT THEY CAN ONLY DROP THE PRICE OF LOCAL SEAFOOD HERE SO MUCH BECAUSE THEY NEED TO PAY THE COST OF FUEL FOR BOATS LIKE THE ONE BEHIND ME HERE, AS WELL AS THE COST FOR LABOR, WHICH CONTINUES TO RISE.