After the hurricane, Louisiana fishing families like the Portiers are back on the water, bringing their fresh catch to sell. Now more than ever, Louisiana fishermen need your help. With restaurant sales curtailed due to social distancing restrictions, selling direct to consumers is the only way they can make a living. As you read this story, you can discover how to find and buy your seafood directly from the source.

It takes a lot of faith to make a living fishing the waters of South Louisiana, and Chad and Angela Portier should know. Their aptly named Faith Family Shrimp Company, located in Chauvin, LA, is the launching pad for one of the most successful fishing families along the Gulf coastal region.

Their fleet of five commercial fishing vessels, along with their full-time working dock operation, catches and processes over 2 million pounds of wild-caught Gulf shrimp for a large wholesale and retail market. You are likely to find their shrimp in supermarkets and restaurants throughout the region.

Gulf shrimp from Louisiana coastal waters. (Photo credit: Faith Family Shrimp)

As a fourth-generation fisherman, Chad started his shrimping career at 15 years old, captaining a 72-foot boat. He quickly developed a reputation as one of the best fishermen along the Bayou Petit Caillou. And Chad not only built the business, but he also built the boats, too.

Chad launched their largest vessel named the Jesus Lives in 2017; he built it from the ground up with his brother and two sons’ help. It is considered to be one of the most superior shrimping vessels dragging along the Gulf Coast today.

Angela Portier helps run the family-operated business and works closely with Louisiana Direct Seafood to promote her business and seek new technology. The company was an early adopter of the plate-freezing process called Louisiana Limited Wild Plate Frozen Shrimp.

The process produces an ultra-premium product where shrimp are caught, sorted, graded, packaged in boxes, and held on a contact plate freezer at minus 30ºF. This method is done either on the boat when caught or at the dock for day boats that bring their catch daily.  Thawed under cold water, these shrimp appear as if they just came out of the net with heads and even antenna intact.

When thawed, plate-frozen shrimp are as close to fresh as can be. (Photo credit: George Graham)

Speaking with Angela, she lets you know that the Portiers are blessed to be a part of the commercial fishing industry and appreciate the hard-working fishermen that work long hours and stay out many days away from their families. And they believe in putting Jesus first, family second, and then their work; simply put, it’s faith, family, and shrimp.

Be sure to connect with the Portier family and many more coastal Louisiana fishermen by accessing the contact information on the Louisiana Direct Seafood website. It’s a free service, and it’s nice to know that you are helping to support the many fishing families that are the foundation of our Louisiana seafood industry.

Faith Family Shrimp Co.
8167 Redfish St.
Chauvin LA 70344
985-637-0896
Email: Angelaportier@charter.net
Web: https://sites.google.com/view/faithfamilyshrimp/home
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Food-Wholesaler/Faith-Family-Shrimp-Company-761501757262656/

This Boat-To-Table series of stories, recipes, and information about our seafood industry is brought to you by Acadiana Table in support of Louisiana Direct Seafood, a free program of Louisiana Sea Grant and LSU AgCenter.