A.C. Cooper

You know, you can't make enough money during this shrimp season in order to make it all here.

So we have to supplement our way of life.

You know, you can't make enough money during this shrimp season in order to make it all here.

So we have to supplement our way of life.

A.C.

Cooper has shrimped the Gulf for more than 50 years.

Now his boat sits tied to the dock in Port Sulphur, Louisiana.

He's taken a second job ferrying oil rig workers to make ends meet.

Diesel has spiked to over $5 a gallon.

Cooper says he has to catch at least 1,000 pounds of shrimp just to break even on fuel costs.

He says he hopes he can get back to shrimping, to doing what he loves.

Until then, his boat remains tied to the docks.

For NPR News, I'm Drew Hawkins in Port Sulphur, Louisiana.