April 16, 2026 — The following was released by the Southern Shrimp Alliance:
Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the launch of the USDA Office of Seafood, a priority objective that the Southern Shrimp Alliance and dozens of organizations representing U.S. fisheries have collaborated to pursue for multiple years.
The Chair of the North Carolina Fisheries Association and SSA Board member Brent Fulcher joined Kyle and Tricia Kimball of the Port Arthur Area Shrimpers Association at a roundtable meeting this afternoon in Washington D.C. with Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Representative Nick Begich (R-AK), Representative Kat Commack (R-FL), and approximately ten fisheries leaders from across the country ahead of the announcement.
“This is a landmark day for U.S. shrimpers. Like our nation’s farmers, American commercial fishermen are food producers,” said Blake Price, director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “Nevertheless, while the USDA offers loans, grants, and marketing programs to food producers, this support is generally not available to fishermen. An Office of Seafood within the USDA is an essential first step in bringing shrimpers into the fold.”