I grew up in Brownsville during the 1970s and 1980s when the shrimping industry at the Port of Brownsville was booming. I have vivid memories of visiting the shrimp basin as a child and being mesmerized by the multitude of boats.
At that time there were more than 500 shrimp boats operating from the port and their impact was felt throughout the communities of Brownsville and Port Isabel. Whether it was as a boat captain, header, cold storage worker, or in other roles, people had jobs, and many families finally had enough money to buy homes or send their kids to college.
Sadly, things have changed since then. Today, there are less than 100 boats as the shrimping industry has struggled to compete with farmed shrimp imports and government regulations. As the industry declined, the fortunes of many families that once thrived also decreased.
While Brownsville and other major communities in deep South Texas have seen growth and development, numerous other areas in South Texas still suffer from high poverty rates and a shortage of well-paying employment for our people. But there is hope on the horizon.
The Port of Brownsville is once again ready to bring many higher-paying positions to South Texas through world-class projects like the construction of the Next Decade liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, the expansion of SpaceX at Boca Chica, and the Forza steel plant.
The Next Decade LNG facility alone promises an $18.4 billion investment and 5,000 construction jobs at its peak. In a region where high-paying construction work is hard to come by, Next Decade LNG, SpaceX at Boca Chica, and the Forza Steel plant will be a blessing for residents who often must leave their families behind to find work elsewhere for better wages.
The planned improvements at the Port of Brownsville by The Next Decade LNG will bring economic prosperity to the entire region.
The development of the LNG plant presents a crucial ability to help continue solving economic inequalities in South Texas and promote sustainable growth. However, this golden opportunity is under threat by the Sierra Club and other groups whose views are on the extreme of the majority.
They are so eager to prevent further advancements of the Port of Brownsville that they have filed lawsuits to do so.
By standing in the way of port progress, the Sierra Club and other non-local activists slow down the path to economic prosperity for minority populations. While concerns about the impact of port development on tourism are valid, it is crucial to understand that tourism alone has not brought high-paying employment to the region.
Instead, by working together, South Texans can minimize the impact on the environment and coastal tourism while using port development to create better ways for economic prosperity for all residents.
Editor’s Note: The above guest column was penned by Pedro Salazar, a Brownsville native who is CEO of Edinburg-based Red Square Dental.
