Shrimp Aid pavilion programming

Panel 1: Shrimper Stories & Solutions  – 12:30-2pm  

Participants:
Kindra Arnesen,  George Barisich,  Kim Chauvin , Sandy Nguyen, James Mitchell, Margee Green

Moderator: John Fallon

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Part 1 

Shrimper Stories: Voices from the Coast

Our local shrimpers will take the stage to share their personal stories—what it truly means to make a living from the sea and to sustain a way of life that has shaped Louisiana’s coastal identity for generations. These first-hand accounts will shed light on the daily realities, challenges, and resilience of the people who continue to work the Gulf waters despite mounting economic and environmental pressures. Their voices offer an unfiltered look at what’s at stake for our coastal communities—and why their survival matters to all of us. 

Part 2 

Legislative Update: Fixes, Failures, and the Road Ahead

Following a short break, our panel will reconvene with James Mitchell (DC02 and NAMA) and Margee Green (Louisiana FPAC) to explore the policy side of the crisis facing Gulf shrimpers. Together with our fishers, they’ll discuss recent legislative efforts, missed opportunities, and emerging strategies—at both state and federal levels—to protect working waterfronts, strengthen domestic seafood supply chains, and ensure fair markets. The conversation will focus on how we can better coordinate advocacy across regions and build a unified front to support those who feed us from the sea.  

Cooking Demo: Porgy's Seafood Market – 2:30-3pm  

Presentation: Testing Updates –  3pm-3:30pm 

David Williams & Glenda Beasley from SeaD Consulting give an overview of the past year, the challenges to our local shrimpers that their testing and media coverage has helped to overcome, as well as those that continue.

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Panel 2: The FACTS on SWLA – 3:30-5pm   

Participants:  Sky Leger,  Solomon Williams,  James Hiatt , Alyssa Portaro 

Moderator: Misha Mayeur 

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How can Industry and Louisiana fisheries coexist? Shrimpers, oystermen, and crabbers in Cameron Parish have been experiencing extreme fallout, up to 80% catch-loss in some cases, since Venture Global LNG has taken residence on the Calcasieu River. We sit down with fishermen of Cameron Parish and local advocates to discuss what has happened and what can be done 

Pre-festival Discussion

Neuro-Inclusion and Neuro-Accessibility in Festival-Making in the Gulf South – 11:30am Participants:  Chiara Latimer, MFT – Director, Center for Neurodiversity at Rowan University Georgia Majka – Interdisciplinary artist and assistant director, Rowan University Bridgette Hamstead, MS – Founding Director, Fish in a Tree; Chair, Neurodiversity Coalition of America

Panel 3: Shrimping Forward: Innovation & Opportunity in a Changing Gulf – 12:30-2pm    

Participants:  Lance Nacio,  David Williams,  Chef Maya Mastersson,  Chef Mike Nelson,  Thomas Hymel  

Moderator: Dana Honn

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How can Gulf shrimpers and fishers capture greater value from their catch and strengthen the long-term viability of their operations? This panel examines strategies to increase economic returns through product diversification, waste-to-value innovation, and market differentiation. The discussion will also address how technology and data systems can help level the playing field for domestic harvesters, scrutinize and improve fisheries management and regulations, reduce dependence on volatile commodity pricing, and improve traceability and market access. Additionally, the session will explore approaches to attract and support the next generation of shrimpers, ensuring the continuity of working waterfronts and the cultural and economic vitality they sustain.  

Cooking Demo: Clesi's – Boudin Stuffed Shrimp  – 2:30-3pm

Panel 4: Shrimp, Culture and Community – 3:30-5pm 

Participants:  Ly Chan,  Bruce Sunpie Barnes,  Marion Hoang Ngoc Hill,  Eva Tesfaye,  Zella Palmer,  Theresa Dardar 

Moderator: Dr. Aimee Thomas

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This conversation brings together shrimpers, artists, culture bearers, journalists and chefs to explore the deep cultural significance of Louisiana’s shrimping communities. At the confluence of food, art, and heritage, our fishers have created a cultural estuary of rhythms, flavors, and stories that are the nascent seeds for life in Louisiana.  

The panel will examine how shrimpers’ lived experiences ripple outward into music, film and cuisine, revealing their influence not only on local traditions but on the larger social fabric of the American identity. Through storytelling, creative expression, and first-hand perspective, panelists will consider how cultural narratives can shift public perception of the shrimping industry and help inspire change. This conversation explores how the identity born from coastal communities continues to shape Louisiana’s creative expression, and in turn, how art, music, and storytelling can reshape perception, mobilize empathy, and inspire collective action to protect these fragile communities. 

By bridging the voices of working shrimpers with those of artists, storytellers and chefs who interpret and amplify their impact, this session will invite audiences to reflect on the interconnectedness of culture, economy, and environment and how honoring the work of shrimpers can foster resilience, advocacy, and a deeper appreciation of Louisiana’s heritage.

For more information, please contact Dana Honn at Dana@LouisianaShrimpFestival.org