Baton Rouge Reporter

U.S. Representatives Garret Graves from Louisiana and Kathy Castor from Florida have introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at preventing unsafe, illegally-produced shrimp from entering the U.S. market. This move is intended to protect consumers from shrimp that contain illegal antibiotics or are sourced through unlawful fishing practices.

The legislation seeks to provide funding to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for ensuring that all shrimp sold in the United States are free of illegal chemicals and safe for consumption. Additionally, it aims to prevent illegal fishing methods from being used in shrimp production. The bill builds on previous efforts by Representative Graves to empower the U.S. Department of Agriculture to purchase domestic shrimp for distribution in schools, food banks, and disaster relief programs.

Representative Graves emphasized the challenges faced by Louisiana’s shrimpers due to "foreign shrimp dumping," rising energy costs, and natural disasters like Hurricane Ida. He stated, “Shrimp packed with illegal antibiotics cannot be allowed to take over our market, and it’s unacceptable to be okay with anyone consuming a lower-quality product that puts their health at risk.”

Representative Castor highlighted the importance of the Gulf of Mexico shrimping industry for Florida's economy and jobs. She expressed concern about foreign-raised shrimp flooding the market with products often tainted with illegal antibiotics. Castor remarked, "With the LESS Act, Rep. Graves and I want to level the playing field."

John Williams, Executive Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance, supported this legislative initiative as essential for maintaining the viability of the American shrimp industry. He noted that "the LESS Act is proof that Congress has a vital role in" supporting this sector.

Trey Pearson, President of the American Shrimp Processor’s Association, echoed these sentiments by pointing out how foreign competition using banned antibiotics has threatened domestic producers. He thanked Congressman Graves for providing crucial support through this proposed legislation.

This new bill continues Graves' efforts from last Congress against Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported (IUU) fishing practices and forced labor in seafood supply chains—efforts partly enacted into law under last year's National Defense Authorization Act.