88S31312 BPG-D
By: LaMantia S.R. No. 78
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The shrimp industry plays a vital role in the
nation's economy and in the prosperity of Gulf Coast communities,
where domestic shrimp are harvested and processed; and
WHEREAS, In Texas, the industry supports more than 14,000
jobs, generating approximately $850 million in economic value;
however, a glut of foreign shrimp imports threatens this industry
with collapse; and
WHEREAS, Imports of frozen warmwater shrimp nearly doubled
between 2013 and 2021, to an unprecedented 1.8 billion pounds; data
from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration indicates
that Texas shrimpers harvested 6.8 million pounds of shrimp in the
first five months of 2023, compared to 800 million pounds of
imported shrimp in the first half of the year; and
WHEREAS, Much of the foreign shrimp is farm-raised and
subsidized in order to let producers sharply undercut the price of
domestic shrimp; the problem has been well documented since 2005,
when the International Trade Commission determined that imports
from certain countries were selling at less than fair value, and
this continues to occur, despite antidumping regulations; and
WHEREAS, While the influx of imported shrimp has driven
prices to record lows, Gulf Coast fishermen must contend with the
forces of inflation, including historically high fuel prices; it
typically costs a trawler tens of thousands of dollars to go out to
sea, so many remained tied up at the docks; a severe labor shortage
has exacerbated the crisis; and
WHEREAS, The sustainability of the domestic shrimp industry
is crucial to the survival of many small, family-owned businesses
and to the stability of Gulf Coast communities, but this important
economic engine is currently imperiled by unfair foreign
competition and other rising challenges; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature, 3rd
Called Session, hereby reaffirm an unwavering commitment to the
shrimping industry and urge the Secretary of the United States
Department of Commerce to issue a fishery resource disaster
determination for fisheries along the Gulf of Mexico; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of the Senate forward official
copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, to
the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and to the
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.