Pass Christian preps for Blessing of the Fleet, crowns King Fisherman
PASS CHRISTIAN, Miss. (WLOX) - The local fishing industry is making headlines as tariff talk continues to swirl around the U.S. shrimping industry.
This weekend in Pass Christian, fishermen are being celebrated – and blessed.
Work crews spent a busy Friday afternoon hammering out the details and placing the final touches for this weekend’s 47th annual Blessing of the Fleet at Pass Christian Harbor.
The blessing of marine vessels starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday and a new King Fisherman will be crowned – 75-year-old Tra Nguyen.
For the man affectionally known in ‘The Pass’ as ‘Captain Tea,’ it’s an honor he selflessly shares with his fellow fishermen.
“[Alderman Kirk Kimball] wanted me to do that,” he told WLOX News Now. “I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Yeah, yeah!’ I said, ‘okay!’”
“I’m happy for everybody, too.”
The annual event is much more than the benediction of boats, food, fun and family atmosphere.
According to Ward 3 Alderman Kirk Kimball, the Blessing of the Fleet is a time-honored tradition sewn in the fabric of Pass Christian and a cause near and dear to the Mississippi Coast.
“The cause is the fishermen and I’ll tell you why this is so vital,” Kimball explained. “It’s because we are bringing attention to what they are doing, and what that is, is shrimp season. Now to give credibility to what I’m saying on that, you have import shrimp that are coming in and killing these poor guys. So, they are getting paid 1983 prices for their catch, while the fuel is at current levels. It’s not sustainable. These guys are hurting.”
Nguyen is one of those fishermen feeling the pinch from overseas competition.
Making a living on the Coast in his handbuilt 70-foot trawler christened the ‘T.C.’, Nguyen shares recent shrimping struggles of making less than a dollar per pound while paying thousands in fuel costs.
“We unload [shrimp] in Biloxi – $0.75 to $0.85,” he said. “Fuel over there, sometimes we got $2.60-2.80. Cheaper than over here.”
“I think it is a good thing. The price of shrimp goes up. The diesel goes down. We make some money.”
Whether it’s frolicking in the festivities or celebrating those who work to feed the coast, Alderman Kimball says when it comes to fun this weekend, ‘The Pass’ is the place to be.
“If you are looking for something to do this weekend, you are going to come to the greatest town in America, and see one of the greatest shows,” he said. “Pass Christian’s Blessing of the Fleet – 47th annual – Please come out and celebrate with us.”
The event runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
A children’s fishing rodeo will be held at 8:30 a.m.
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