The spending bill signed by President Trump last week will increase the amount of money for inspections of imported seafood -- a move praised by the local shrimp industry.
The United States is importing more and more shrimp from other countries, some of which is produced with antibiotics that are banned in the US. So when it’s tested by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it’s rejected.
However, only a tiny fraction of it actually gets tested -- less than one percent in 2015, according to a 2017 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Imports are often cheaper than locally sourced seafood, and Louisiana shrimpers complained for years that they can’t compete. They say if the FDA tested more shrimp, it would find that a lot of the imports are contaminated with antibiotics. More contaminated product means more rejected product, which, theoretically, could make Louisiana product more appealing.
Next year, the FDA will have $15 million reserved for inspections of imported seafood in fiscal year 2019, which is $3.1 million more than it was allotted for seafood inspections in 2017.
The increase was praised by the Southern Shrimp Alliance, which represents the interests of shrimpers across the South. The FDA did not immediately return a request for comment.
Angela Portier, who operates four shrimp boats with her husband under the Chauvin-based Faith Family Shrimp Company, hopes the additional inspection money improves economics for local shrimpers.
“I think it’s all about supply and demand,” she says. “And the less imports we’re fighting, the more of a demand we’ll have for our product. So that’s what I’m praying these inspections will do.”
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