Today, the House Financial Services Committee held a markup of various measures, including the Save Our Shrimpers Act, H.R. 2071, championed by Representative Troy Nehls (R-TX). During the markup, the Committee overwhelmingly voted, by a margin of 42 to 1, to approve amended language to the legislation and report it favorably to the House.
As reported out of Committee, the Save Our Shrimpers Act would require U.S. representatives at international financial institutions (IFIs) to oppose any financial assistance for any project that would support shrimp farming, shrimp processing, or the export of shrimp. The requirement to oppose would automatically expire seven years after the law’s enactment, and U.S. representatives could decline to follow the requirement if they notify Congress that doing so would be in the national interest.
Although U.S. law, at 22 U.S.C. § 262h, currently requires U.S. representatives at IFIs to oppose any project that would increase the production of any commodity or mineral already in surplus on world markets, this law also requires the U.S. Treasury Department to also find that the export of this commodity or mineral “would cause substantial injury” to an American industry. The additional requirement to find injury has historically stopped U.S. representatives from opposing development projects intended to boost foreign shrimp production, with devastating impacts on the American shrimp industry.
How the SOS Act Strengthens Existing Law
The Save Our Shrimpers Act directly addresses the weakness in current law by mandating that U.S. representatives oppose any projects that support of shrimp farming, processing, or export.
Clear Opposition and Transparency
Last year, the Asian Development Bank moved forward with financing a project that benefits Thai Union Public Company Limited’s shrimp production in Thailand over the objection of the United States. However, the objections of the U.S. representatives were vague, citing “trade policy and reputational concerns.”
Should it become law, the Save Our Shrimpers Act would make clear that the United States opposes any and all IFI funding of shrimp-related projects. Further, should IFIs proceed with projects despite U.S. objections, Americans will be able to track these projects through the database compiled and maintained by the Southern Shrimp Alliance.
Representative Nehls’ Save Our Shrimpers Act received broad and bipartisan support in the House, with twenty co-sponsors: Representatives Brian Babin (R-TX), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Buddy Carter (R-GA), Troy Carter (D-LA), Michael Cloud (R-TX), Donald Davis (D-NC), Byron Donalds (R-FL), Mike Ezell (R-MS), Russell Fry (R-SC), Vincente Gonzalez (D-TX), Mike Haridopolos (R-FL), Clay Higgins (R-LA), Julia Letlow (R-LA), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Nancy Mace (R-SC), Barry Moore (R-AL), Gregory Murphy (R-NC), David Rouzer (R-NC), John Rutherford (R-FL), and Randy Weber (R-TX).
The proposed legislation follows the Southern Shrimp Alliance’s issuance of A Crisis of Our Own Making in August 2023, a research report cataloguing the role played by IFIs, like the World Bank, in the creation of excess shrimp aquaculture capacity throughout the world.
“Congressman Troy Nehls has stood resolutely behind shrimpers in Texas and throughout the Gulf of America and South Atlantic,” said Blake Price, director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “For almost two years, Congressman Nehls has fought to push the Save Our Shrimpers Act forward. While there is much more to be done before this becomes the law of the land, American shrimpers are grateful to him, to all of our Congressional allies that supported the bill, and to the members of the House Financial Services Committee for achieving this important next step.”
Read Representative Troy Nehls’ Press Release regarding the Save Our Shrimpers Act here: https://nehls.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-troy-e-nehls-save-our-shrimpers-act-passes-house-financial-services-0
Watch Representative Andy Barr’s (R-KY) comments in support of the Save Our Shrimpers Act here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1ZYyomUHXa