The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Save Our Shrimpers (SOS) Act, legislation that directs U.S. representatives at international monetary institutions to oppose funding for foreign shrimp aquaculture and processing.
“For far too long, foreign shrimp has flooded our markets while U.S. tax dollars have been used to subsidize overseas shrimp operations, which are putting our domestic shrimpers out of business,” U.S. Representative Troy Nehls (R-Texas) said in a release. “My bipartisan legislation puts an end to that by requiring United States representatives at international financial institutions to oppose the use of American taxpayer money to fund foreign shrimp farming and processing. This is a huge win for American shrimpers and a clear win for the America First agenda. Today, the U.S. House of Representatives stood up for the hardworking shrimpers in Texas and across America’s coastal communities who depend on a strong domestic shrimping industry.”
The domestic shrimp sector has long bemoaned international institutions like the World Bank or the Asian Development Bank – which both receive support from the U.S. – providing funding for shrimp aquaculture projects in other countries. U.S. shrimpers say that those projects directly compete with their own efforts, undermining domestic shrimp harvesting and processing.
The SOS Act would instruct U.S. directors at those institutions to vote against foreign shrimp projects.
“Until Representative Nehls introduced the SOS Act, the U.S. had never once voted against funding a foreign shrimp aquaculture project, despite the detrimental impact on American shrimpers and coastal communities,” Southern Shrimp Alliance Director Blake Price said in a release. “But now, thanks to Representative Nehl’s leadership, there is growing awareness and strong bipartisan demand to end the practice of subsidizing multinational foreign corporations with hundreds of millions of dollars. Give U.S. shrimpers a fair fight, and we will provide more sustainable, premium quality shrimp right here at home.”
The U.S. House Committee on Financial Services advanced the bill in March, tweaking it slightly with a seven-year sunset clause and adding a waiver allowing directors ignore the requirement if they believe voting in favor of those projects would be in the national interest.
The House passed the amended bill in a 391-18 vote on 12 May.
“Domestic shrimpers have been undercut by foreign competitors who often receive U.S. taxpayer dollars by way of international financial institutions. This legislation orders an end to American subsidization of foreign seafood production,” U.S. Representative Clay Higgins (R-Louisiana) said in a release. “I will not stop fighting for Louisiana agriculture. If I had full control, I’d stop all or most imported seafood and rice. One day at a time, though; we’re winning because we’re in the fight.”
The legislation is supported by the Texas Shrimp Association, the South Carolina Shrimpers Association, the Louisiana Shrimp Association, Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United, the American Shrimp Association, and the American Shrimp Processors Association (ASPA).
“America’s shrimp processors strongly support the Save Our Shrimpers Act.” ASPA President Trey Pearson said in a statement. “For far too long, international institutions have poured public dollars into overseas shrimp farming and processing, fueling massive overcapacity and waves of unfair imports that have repeatedly harmed our domestic shrimp industry. This bill will put an end to this practice and ensure that international institutions which are financed with U.S. taxpayer dollars do not use those funds to prop up our competitors overseas.”
The legislation will also need to be approved by the U.S. Senate before going to U.S. President Donald Trump to be signed into law. An earlier effort to attach the legislation to the omnibus Farm Bill in the House failed.
