89R12852 TBO-D
By: Louderback, Leo Wilson H.C.R. No. 76
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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, Imported shrimp pose a significant risk to public
health; a 2015 investigation by Consumer Reports found dangerous
bacteria, antibiotics, and drug residues in more than half of the
shrimp they tested from Ecuador and India; however, the Food and
Drug Administration inspects less than one percent of imported
seafood for banned substances; in addition, many seafood products
that fail inspections at U.S. ports of entry are simply rerouted by
suppliers to other ports where they might not be inspected; 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 89th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby urge the federal government to curb the mass importation of
foreign shrimp into the United States to protect the Gulf Coast
shrimping industry from unfair competition and to protect consumers
from substandard shrimp that does not meet U.S. health standards;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the Texas Secretary of State 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.