The bipartisan Save Our Shrimpers (SOS) Act would protect working American fishermen, waterfronts, and communities by requiring the U.S. government to oppose International Financial Institution (IFI) funding for overseas industrial shrimp aquaculture.
The Problem
The global shrimp market is oversupplied. Yet, International Funding Institutions, such as the World Bank, continue to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in new foreign shrimp farming. This non-market funding creates a shrimp surplus, crashes prices, and harms the U.S. shrimp industry.
The Solution (SOS Act)
The SOS Act mandates that the U.S. Executive Directors at International Financial Institutions vote against and oppose any loan or grant that subsidizes foreign shrimp production or export operations. The non-controversal bill passed the House 391-18 and has robust backing in the Senate.
THE EVIDENCE
A Crisis of Our Own Making
The data is undeniable. The Southern Shrimp Alliance has compiled the reports and tracked the U.S. Treasury votes, proving that federal funds are actively being used against domestic shrimpers and the non-market advantages given to foreign aquaculture producers.
2023 Report Findings
This landmark report details how IFIs poured over $1 billion into foreign shrimp aquaculture, fueling global oversupply, triggering record-high imports, crashing U.S. dockside prices, and accelerating global mangrove deforestation.
• Economic devastation of U.S. industry
• Violations of the U.S. Surplus Commodities Law
• Widespread environmental harm
Tracking U.S. Treasury Votes
SSA maintains a publicly available database of all U.S. Treasury votes on multilateral development projects. This tool exposes compliance failures and identifies shifting trends in shrimp aquaculture financing.
Coastal Communities Are Demanding Action
Local governments, which witness firsthand the devastating effects of these foreign subsidies, are urging the Senate to act.
MUNICIPAL BOARD • ALABAMA
Bayou La Batre
The "Seafood Capital of Alabama" ratified an official measure to support the stability of the domestic fleet amid uneven foreign lending.
Adopted ResolutionPARISH COUNCIL • LOUISIANA
Terrebonne Parish
Enacted council action demanding Senate passage to preserve maritime docks, icehouses, and processing infrastructure in bayou communities.
Adopted ResolutionCITY COUNCIL • MISSISSIPPI
City of Biloxi
Passed a municipal resolution highlighting how multi-generational Gulf Coast fishing families are endangered by subsidized foreign shrimp supply.
Passed ResolutionCITY COUNCIL • SOUTH CAROLINA
City of Beaufort
Sent letters to SC's U.S. Senators asking for federal policies that support shrimpers, rather thanusing taxpayer dollars to disadvantage them.
COMMISSIONERS COURT • TEXAS
County of Jefferson
Passed a county resolution calling on the Senate to consider, advance, and enact the SOS Act to ensure a level playing field for U.S. shrimpers.
Passed ResolutionFOR MAYORS, COUNCILS & COMMISSIONS
Help build a record of support for Washington. Local government resolutions demonstrate to Senators that passing the SOS Act is critical to the economic survival of coastal communities.
