Shrimping Question
 

Was on Grand Isle last week and there were TONS of trash on the beach. I understand that with a south wind everything is coming onto the beach. Well, we saw several actual bags of trash along the beach. At first thought maybe someone is picking up trash and leaving it for someone in a truck to come and pick up the bags. Talked to some locals and they say that more than likely it is the trawlers that are just bagging up their trash and throwing it into the GULF:eek: There are no laws regulating this?

I hope there is a better explanation, but surely this can not be the case. As many regs as there are for oil and gas exploration, surely trawlers can offload their trash along with the shrimp?

It ain't just trawlers that do that. But yes, the trash is being thrown overboard.

How in the world is this legal? Its state waters?

Also, she was talking about how cruise liners do this with their trash, they 'jettyson' it underwater that way the people on the boat can't see the trash as it floats up. I realize a floating trash bag may hold a dolphin or tripletail out in the blue water, but it ain't doing much good on the beach!

Have witnessed it many times, but sometimes it is not "thrown". I fish trawlers on a regular basis when they are on anchor in the Trinity Shoal area for blackfin, cobia, and so on. Lots of times, these trawlers are owned and operated by Asians that can stay on the boat for very long periods. These large boats have ice/water makers, so until they need fuel, provisions, or offload their catch, they stay offshore. Their household garbage is bagged up and held until they return to the dock. Sadly, lots of times the bags are blown off the deck in bad weather. I have never seen them intentionally throw their bags overboard, but I have witnessed on three occassions over the years where bags were blown over. This is while no one was on the deck, so I just went by with my boat and got them with a gaff and brought them in w/ me.

Every vessel inspected by the USCG has a chart in the wheelhouse and galley that shows what discharge can go overboard and how far from shore you need to be. Oil and plastic are never allowed no matter how far out you are.

Food waste is allowed to be passed through a disposal system, ground up and discharged. Trust me, cruise ships are NOT throwing regular "trash" out at sea!

I love how its just Asians with freezer boats...freezer boats that go out a month at a time...on boats sometimes 100+ foot in size

Bigger boats incenerate their trash

Let me clarify, the ones I have seen were the asians that run the large boats. And these didn't have incenerators on their boats! Dude, not trying to offend anyone.......but I call them as I see them. You just don't see the white man shrimper out there in big boats anymore, at least I don't.

Trash comes from everybody..the gulf is America's toilet. Truthfully, I think the biggest contributer to offshore pollution is Big Oil.

How did I not know this was coming!!!!! Another topic that will turn out to be a 14 page back-n-forth debate over something alot of people replying over issues they know nothing about.

Have you ever heard of a "super sack"? Do you know what it is? Do you know how it works? And for the million dollar question - Have you ever seen a fricking super sack on the beach of Grand Isle or anywhere else floating in the GoM? The answer to that question is "NO"!!!!!!

Another topic while we are discussing trash and shrimpers! Empty salt bags!!!!! That chaps my rear end!!!!!! I guess big oil is to blame for people of South La being able to afford shrimp for supper so the shrimpers go out and catch shrimp, then use salt on their boats, throwing the sacks overboard, but it is still the fault of "Big Oil". Some people crack me up!

here we go...ya i've worked offshore. and i saw stuff that goes on (or should i say go off) the crew boat to the platform. on the platform , ive seen some that were anal and some that just about anything went overboard."super sack"? i aint neva heard of it but i've heard of sand bags. That's what damn near every rig' i've been on uses as their trash bag. ----TIED TO A HANDRAIL(in most cases)

and i was a blaster/painter...so im the one supplying the sand bags.....:work::work:

If you have never heard of a "super sack" I truly question how many trips you made offshore! LMAO!!!!!!!!!!

Sand bags as a trash can - pahaaaa! Just as I thought, some one talking about something they nothing about!

I can only assume you are offended by my truthful post that I witnessed some trash blowing off of some shrimp boats in the past and they happend to be owned/operated by someone of Asian decent. Sir, you need to get over that, quit wearing your feelings on your shirt sleeve, and realize one thing real fast..........I don't care who you are, if the shoe fits wear it!

OK, thanks for clarifying, I couldn't believe this!

Funny you mention salt bags, saw one on Elmer's and thought that a bag of salt was pretty ironic being in the GOM and saltwater and all surround in salt, I thought it was funny at least:redface:

Oil and gas is the most highly regulated business around though

Yep, they allow the food waste to be discharged as long as the particles are smaller than 1/2" if I remember correctly, but I will have to double check my current regs.(this is to eliminate the smell of rotting food). I see empty salt bags EVERYtime I go out. Not every other time.........EVERYone. Let me make it clear, I see them on EVERY dang trip!

I am not a shrimper, and not really sure how the salt bath works, but I think it has something to do w/ bycatch. Maybe someone can educate me about the salt bags, but they do not appear to be "biodegradable"!

And when someone brings up oilfield pantys get bunched up...lets be definitive when we describe something ..don't stereotype a group of people as a whole..my dad had a 90 foot freezer slab built new.fully fitted and I can guarentee if something ain't suppose to go overboard it ain't ..and I've seen a good share ofwhite shrimpers dumping more than just trash over board....

I guess that video they show you when you get to every rig on stuff overboard is bs

The "freezer"is basically this big raw water super refregireated whirlpool --guess that's best way to explain..they dump salt and dip the bags of shrimp in..it helps freeze it faster and I'm guessing gotta help with preservation since they plate out so long. That's why little boats earn not too much less..less overhead too

Makes sense, thats what they call IQF = Individually Quick Frozen perhaps? There are bad apples in every profession, I am glad y'all cleared it up that this is NOT an everyday/every single person occurence, the way I was told sounded like everyone does it. The rumor mill

MMS/BOEMRE will write you an INC if a super sack is not tied off to something sturdy.
THey also don't like to see them tied off to a handrail close to the edge of the platform.
We have trash compactors for regular trash, food grinders that have to grind food smaller than 1 cubic inch and we recycle cardboard, paper, aluminum and plastic bottles in super sacks that are either tied off or in containers. The only thing we keep in open top 4 X 8 baskets is scrap metals.
We have special baskets for empty 5 gal. water bottles too.

Everything that can fly off the platform has to have the block number on it, in some kind of permanent lettering or sticker. If not, that can result in an INC also.

Freezers and IQF boxes are different animals.
There is salt boxes that hold high concentration of saltwater. When you shovel the catch into the salt box, most everything floats to the top except for shrimp and crabs, due to the high concentration of salt. Then you just dip net the fish and other things that float up to the top and throw overboard. The rest at the bottom is usually just shrimp. Makes culling a lot simpler and gets the shrimp on ice faster than hand culling.
IQF box is an insulated box with freezer plates towards the back and some kind of circulating mechanism to circulate the water. They add around 8 lbs. of salt per gallon of water, or something like that. The saltwater won't freeze, but it will form a slush at -20 deg. F.
After the shrimp are culled and bagged in onion sacks, they are dipped a couple times in the IQF box. The high salt keeps them from sticking together, it forms a layer between each shrimp. The sack is hung for a couple minutes to drip, then put in a freezer below decks.
I have worked on a few IQF boxes, each shrimper makes them different. I have seen some 500 gal. stainless steel tote tanks used inside walk in freezers so they won't have to insulate them, but the shrimper has to work in the freezer.

And ALL boats over 27 ft. has to have the discharge placards on the boat.
Some are all in one placard, some are in 3 different placards.
They deal with trash, oil and turd discharges.