Commercial Fishermen Versus Thieves

For the Bayou La Batre men who bring in loads of shrimp everyday, it's already a tough season. Not only are they paying more for fuel, they also have to watch out for thieves. Some people are stealing valuable metal from their boats.

“Anything that's of value stainless steel aluminum, copper brass, it's being stolen both off the beach and off the boats,” says Rodney Lyons.

He runs Lyons seafood and sees several boat captains daily. He says it's so bad; someone even snatched a pair of 400 pound boat propellers from his yard.

“It just puts you that much further behind, you know, it's just hard to catch up that's money we've made years ago we've had to spend you know,” says Commercial Fisherman Ray Foster.

In the weeks leading up to shrimp season, boats are docked for days. Full of metal, they're a tempting target for thieves that are looking for metal.

“You'd have to hire somebody to stay on it I guess, can't afford that kind of stuff,” says Foster.

Ray foster's boat was hit a few months ago. He says they made off with 24-hundred dollars worth of towing cable, stay wire and other gear.

“People's out of jobs and oyster reef's shut down no way to make money and it's just going to get worse,” says Foster.

Bayou La Batre Police say they have more reported metal thefts now compared to last year. There were 7 in 2006, 13 in 2007 and 16 so far this year. Police Chief John Joyner says he'd like more regulation of scrap metal dealers.

“I think having accountability for the thefts, giving some stiffer jail time for this type of theft would help also,” says Joyner.