Congressman Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22), along with Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA-03), Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX-34), Congressman Garret Graves (R-LA-06), Congressman Mike Ezell (R-MS-04), Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-SC-01), and Congressman Barry Moore (R-AL-02), on Thursday introduced the bipartisan Save Our Shrimpers Act of 2024.
Our nation’s domestic shrimpers say they are struggling to stay in business primarily because of foreign shrimp being dumped into U.S. markets, making it difficult for shrimpers to continue operating. It has also been uncovered that U.S. taxpayer dollars are being used to finance foreign shrimp farm operations through International Financial Institutions (IFIs), such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The bipartisan Save Our Shrimpers Act of 2024 would prohibit federal funds from being made available to IFIs to finance any activity relating to shrimp farming, shrimp processing, or the export of shrimp in any foreign country to the United States. Additionally, this legislation would trigger an investigation within the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) and require annual reports to Congress to track how U.S. Executive Directors at IFIs are complying with USC 262(h).
“Due to the global excess capacity and production of farm-raised shrimp and imports, the U.S. market is being overwhelmed and driving shrimp prices down to levels that many shrimpers cannot cover the cost of a single shrimp fishing trip,” said Congressman Nehls. “Shrimpers in the 22nd Congressional District of Texas, along the Gulf Coast, and Atlantic Coast are faced with similar difficult decisions of whether to catch shrimp, tie up the trawlers for the season, or even be forced to sell their trawlers. In order to save our nation’s shrimping industry, we must exhaust every legislative option on the table. I commend my colleagues for joining me in support of this important effort to save our shrimpers.”
Original cosponsors of the Save Our Shrimpers Act include Representatives Byron Donalds (R-FL-19), Randy Weber (R-TX-14), Brian Babin (R-TX-36), Russell Fry (R-SC-07), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL-13), Julia Letlow (R-LA-05), and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12).
“The South Carolina shrimp industry is vital to our state’s economy — and the Palmetto State wouldn’t be the same without South Carolina shrimp,” said Congressman Fry. “I am proud to join Congressman Nehls in introducing the Save Our Shrimpers Act to protect the American shrimping industry as a whole and support shrimpers in South Carolina’s Seventh. This legislation will ensure their success for years to come.”
This legislation is supported by the Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA), Texas Shrimp Association, South Carolina Shrimper’s Association (SCSA), GA Commercial Fisherman’s Association (GACFA), North Carolina Fisheries Association, Inc. (NCFA), US Shrimp Coalition (USSC), Louisiana Shrimp Association (LSA), the Alabama Commercial Fishermen’s Association, LLC, and the Port of Palacios, Texas.
