September 26, 2025 — Two United States senators have introduced bipartisan legislation to establish a task force to determine why shellfish populations on the East Coast of the U.S. are declining.
“South Carolina’s shellfish industry depends on healthy bivalve populations, and this task force will support the research needed to develop science-based solutions that protect both our natural resources and the livelihoods they sustain,” U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) said in a release. “From commercial fishermen to restaurant workers and the tourism industry, this directly affects the families and communities that depend on them. I’m pleased to co-sponsor this bill to study the declining bivalve populations and develop informed solutions to safeguard our state’s coastal economy and heritage.”