WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressmen Clay Higgins (R-LA) and Troy Nehls (R-TX) introduced the Save Our Shrimpers Act of 2024, which would prohibit federal funds from being made available to International Financial Institutions (IFIs) that subsidize foreign activity relating to shrimp farming, shrimp processing, or the export of shrimp to the United States.
Due to a rise in foreign seafood dumping and increased operational expenses, our nation’s domestic shrimpers are struggling to stay in business. Recent reports found that U.S. taxpayer dollars are being used to finance foreign shrimp farm operations through IFIs, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), contributing to the challenges facing the domestic shrimp industry.
This legislation would trigger an investigation within the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) and require annual reports to Congress to track if IFIs U.S. Executive Directors are complying with Federal law USC 262(h) by voting against any assistance to export commodities that cause injury or harm to U.S. producers.
Congressman Higgins has been a strong advocate for Louisiana’s seafood industry. Last year, he reintroduced the Imported Seafood Safety Standards Act, which holds foreign countries and exporters to the same standards that U.S. seafood producers and processors abide by.
“Louisiana’s shrimping industry is a way of life for many Louisianans and a significant economic driver for our state,” said Congressman Higgins. “Due to the dumping of imported products from overseas, the shrimping industry is grappling with some of the lowest prices in recent memory. The taxpayer’s hard-earned treasure shouldn’t go toward building competition against the American people. By cutting federal funding to international institutions that contribute to foreign shrimp farming, we are giving domestic shrimpers a level playing field and a seat at the table. We must continue to pursue solutions that help protect Gulf seafood and prioritize domestic production.”
“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.”
Read the legislation here.
