Saving Seafood

Save Our Shrimpers Act picks up support in US Senate

June 23, 2026 — Following the legislation’s passage in the U.S. House, U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi) has introduced a version of the Save Our Shrimpers Act in the U.S. Senate.

The bill would instruct the U.S.’ representatives at international financial institutions like the World Bank or the Asian Development Bank to vote against funding for shrimp farming projects in other nations. The U.S. domestic shrimp industry has expressed frustration over the years that those institutions – which are supported with U.S. tax dollars – have supported foreign shrimp enterprises that ostensibly compete with their own product.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US House passes Save Our Shrimpers Act

May 13, 2026 — 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.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Save Our Shrimpers Act introduced to safeguard US shrimping industry

April 11, 2024 — Today, in a bipartisan effort, Representative Troy Nehls (R-TX) and co-sponsors have introduced the Save Our Shrimpers Act (SOS Act), a piece of legislation aimed at safeguarding the U.S. shrimp industry. The bill seeks to prevent U.S. taxpayer funds from supporting shrimp-related activities in foreign countries through international financial institutions.

The proposed legislation arises from concerns raised by the Southern Shrimp Alliance(SSA), which last year published a research report titled A Crisis of Our Own Making. The report sheds light on the role played by international financial institutions, including the World Bank, in the expansion of excess shrimp aquaculture capacity worldwide. The report notes that U.S. taxpayers have unwittingly contributed billions of dollars to foreign shrimp aquaculture through these institutions.

The proposed SOS Act explicitly prohibits the use of U.S. taxpayer funds by international financial institutions for any activity related to shrimp farming, shrimp processing, or shrimp exports in foreign countries. The legislation also mandates an annual report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office(GAO).

According to U.S. shrimping associations, the consequences of unchecked shrimp aquaculture projects funded by international financial institutions have been severe for U.S. shrimpers. The bill notes that the encouragement of excess shrimp production has led to a surplus in world markets, including the U.S. This oversupply has significantly depressed prices received by U.S. shrimpers for their catch. According to the bill, shrimp imports to the U.S. have lost $1.5 billion in value since 2021, which the bill notes directly affects the livelihoods of shrimpers across eight states in the Gulf.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman