Congressman Paul Introduces Bill to Help Local Shrimpers

Washington, DC:  As his first act in the new 108^th Congress, Representative Ron Paul introduced legislation aimed at helping local shrimpers.  The “Shrimp Importation Fairness Act” is designed to aid the struggling domestic shrimp industry that is so vital to the Texas Gulf coast.  The 14^th congressional district is home to many men and women who work in the shrimp industry, especially in Aransas, Refugio, Calhoun, Matagorda, and Brazoria counties.

Paul’s legislation addresses the financial crisis facing domestic shrimpers in two ways.  First, it places a moratorium on costly federal regulations that burden the industry and place it at a disadvantage with foreign competitors.  Second, it ends taxpayer subsidies to seven nations that import huge amounts of shrimp into the United States.  In fact, the seven countries named in the bill- Thailand, Vietnam, India, China, Ecuador, Indonesia, and Brazil- account for nearly 70% of shrimp imported into America. “American shrimpers should not be forced to subsidize their competitors, but that’s exactly what happens with our current foreign aid policies,” Paul stated.  “This legislation will end subsidies to the seven countries that directly compete with our domestic shrimpers, subsidies currently paid by American taxpayers through programs like the Export-Import Bank, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and the International Monetary Fund.  It’s unconscionable that we’re using taxpayer funds to subsidize the very countries that are competing with our shrimpers.”

“Similarly, we should not be crippling the domestic shrimp industry with burdensome regulations like turtle exclusion devices,” Paul continued.  “Our shrimpers need to know they won’t be saddled with new regulations as they fight to survive against completely unregulated competitors.”