Buoyancy on the Bayou: Shrimpers Face the Rising Tide of Globalization,by Harrison,J. A.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Sherman, Department of Sociology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA DOI: 10.1177/0730888414534623

Buoyancy on the Bayou is a compelling read for several reasons. Its accessible writing style draws the reader in, with narration that is both personal and compassionate. The narrative, of perseverance and cultural continuity in the face of industrial decline, is also compelling. Based on ethnographic fieldwork and in-depth interviews, the book tells the story of rural Louisiana shrimp fishers whose industry was devastated not by environmental disasters like Hurricane Katrina or the BP oil spill but also by market forces and globalization. As the author explains, what took down the thriving Bayou shrimp industry was “the ‘pink tsunami’: the extraordinary increase in the amount of farm-raised foreign imports into the U.S. seafood market” (p. 13). Despite serious health and safety concerns with farm-raised seafood, this cheap foreign source of shrimp flooded the U.S. market in the early 2000s, driving down prices to levels that made shrimping unviable for U.S. trawlers. This abrupt drop in prices devastated the local wild-caught industry, leaving shrimp fishers with tough choices between financial ruin and letting go of a long-held way of life.

On its own, this story is not a new one, and Harrison makes explicit comparisons between her field site and other well-known sites of industrial decline, including her hometown of Youngstown, Ohio. Similar to other studies on the topic, the book explores issues of identity loss and strong cultural ties to work in a specific trade in order to explain why the bulk of fishermen she interviewed chose to remain in the dying industry. Her story goes beyond previous works on industrial collapse and occupational identity in two important ways, however. First, she points out that unlike the victims of industrial decline in many other types of communities, Bayou fishermen have the choice to work locally in the booming oil industry, in which their specific skill set is well rewarded financially, and most would actually make higher incomes and enjoy more stability and security than they did as shrimpers. A significant portion of the book is dedicated to exploring the family and cultural identity issues that cause many persisters to remain in shrimp fishing despite the economic benefits of leaving. She illustrates in depth the reasons why they choose to stay in the industry, as well as the feelings of loss and frustration that ensue for those who leave.

Her second main contribution lies in her description of a third group of fishermen, whom Harrison labels “adaptive innovators.” Beyond leaving or persisting, this third reaction to the industrial decline consists of innovations in both catching and selling shrimp that allow a small number of fishermen to remain in the industry with the possibility of financial success. In these innovators, there is hope both for the U.S. industry and this cherished way of life. Her analysis of the factors that allow innovation to occur is insightful and interesting, although also somewhat premature given the small number of innovators she uncovered, as well as the later challenges they faced such as the oil spill (which occurred subsequent to this research). The reader may well wonder whether these innovators would truly flourish in the face of increased competition from other Bayou fishermen, or whether such innovation can only succeed as a small niche market.

Buoyancy on the Bayou should be of great interest as a case study of the possibilities for innovation that allows the victims of globalization and industrial restructuring to retain both their livelihoods and their unique identities. Harrison beautifully and carefully illustrates the importance of Cajun identity to Bayou fishermen, and its intricate ties to the shrimp industry. Yet, much is also left out of this analysis, which could have gone into more depth regarding the ways in which other sources of identity, including race, class, and gender, interact with this particular place-based sense of self. Given the incredibly gendered nature of fishing, a more in-depth discussion of masculinity and its interactions with job loss seems called for. Similarly, Harrison’s focus on place- and industry-based identities as the main influences behind decisions to persist or leave the industry sidesteps questions of whether race or class divisions also played roles in motivating fishermen’s reluctance to leave shrimping for the more lucrative oil industry. Even rurality as a factor is glossed over in her account, which makes the degree of isolation and community cohesion opaque and seemingly unimportant. The story Harrison tells is clear and well supported, but more analysis of other social forces at play would have improved its sophistication and significance. Nonetheless, it is a well-written book that succeeds in its aim to illustrate the importance of understanding the deep connections between work and identity. It makes an important contribution to the literature on globalization’s impacts on rural U.S. industries, communities, and families.