NOAA Commits to Defend the Domestic Shrimp Fleet from Trade Imbalances
Yesterday, NOAA Fisheries announced regional priorities to advance the America-First Seafood Strategy, with a commitment “to defend the domestic shrimp fleet from trade imbalances…”. The Southern Shrimp Alliance is grateful to President Trump’s Administration for its continued work to ensure that domestic and international food producers are held to the same standards, increasing America’s access to high-quality U.S. seafood.
“NOAA’s commitment to defend the domestic shrimp fleet from trade imbalances is exactly the kind of action our industry has been seeking,” said Blake Price, Executive Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “When American shrimpers compete on a level playing field rather than against unfairly traded imports, consumers get more of what they want — high-quality, sustainable, wild-caught shrimp from nearby waters. That’s good for consumers and for the country. Every pound of shrimp our fleet lands here at home is a pound that doesn’t rely on opaque foreign supply chains and producers that have flouted our food safety, labor, and environmental standards.”
NOAA’s announcement of region-specific actions in support of the Executive Order on Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness is the latest move by the Trump Administration that recognizes the importance of rebuilding a domestic seafood supply chains and supporting the fishermen who depend on it.
On April 15, the Trump Administration established a USDA Office of Seafood to integrate seafood into USDA programs available to farmers and ranchers and to align seafood policy across federal agencies. SSA Board Member and Chairman of the North Carolina Fisheries Association Brent Fulcher thanked President Trump for his leadership directly, speaking during an Oval Office press conference on June 11.
Two weeks later, on June 25, President Trump hosted a dinner honoring farmers. Brent was among those invited, a recognition that fishermen are vital food producers alongside the nation’s farmers and ranchers. The following morning, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins reiterated the Administration’s desire to shift shrimp supply chains from abroad back to the United States.
NOAA Fisheries’ regional priorities build on this momentum, announcing concrete commitments from the Department of Commerce agency responsible for stewarding the nation’s ocean resources and optimizing the yield of each fishery. The Southern Shrimp Alliance looks forward to continuing to work with NOAA Fisheries, USDA, and the rest of the Trump Administration to ensure that American shrimpers — and the American consumers who depend on them for safe, sustainable, wild-caught shrimp — are no longer forced to compete against a flood of unfairly traded imports.