By: Faircloth H.C.R. No. 122
(Senate Sponsor - Taylor of Galveston)
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 24, 2015;
May 24, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on
Administration; May 26, 2015, reported favorably by the following
vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 26, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Americans love to eat the humble but tasty shrimp,
and the shrimp caught off the Gulf Coast of Texas is among the most
coveted of the varieties enjoyed by diners across the nation; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 90 percent of the shrimp consumed by
Americans is imported from foreign tank farms, which makes Gulf
shrimp a special treat; these low-calorie sources of protein can be
served in many ways, either boiled, deep-fried, grilled, or
pan-fried, and they are an excellent source of selenium, iron,
zinc, and vitamins D and B12, as well as omega-3 fats; the average
American eats more than four pounds of shrimp each year; and
WHEREAS, More than 80 percent of the shrimp harvested in the
United States comes from the Gulf of Mexico, and Texas ranks as one
of the leading producers of wild-caught shrimp, shipping large
quantities of this healthy and sustainable food to restaurants and
grocery stores nationwide; the Texas seafood industry generates
more than $850 million in sales each year and accounts for over
14,000 jobs, and Gulf shrimping has become a way of life for many
families in such communities as Port Arthur, Galveston, Palacios,
and Port Isabel; and
WHEREAS, Like barbecue and Tex-Mex, the shrimp caught off the
Gulf Coast of Texas has become one of the signature foods of Lone
Star cuisine and an essential part of the economy and the cultural
heritage of our state; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby designate the Texas Gulf shrimp as the Official State
Crustacean of Texas.
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