LOUISIANA (KLFY) — Good news for the shrimpers and the overall seafood industry as President Donald Trump recently passed an executive order to restore American seafood competitiveness as it confronts the issues the domestic industry has been wanting addressed for decades.

Cheri Blanchard with the Southern Shrimp Alliance said this is going to progress the industry forward.

“We’ve been dealing with this for a long time, and up until this point we haven’t gotten a lot of, you know, sort of pats on the head.” Blanchard said. “You know, things like that, but not a lot of actual attention. Like, yeah, we hear you and we we’re going to do something about it.”

The executive order was signed on April 17. According to findings by the Southern Shrimp Alliance, around 90% of shrimp consumed in the United States are farm-raised and imported. Blanchard said, regulatory agencies have allowed this to happen in the past.

“A lot of our problems in the U.S. shrimp industry has been the regulatory agencies. I like that. NOA and National Marine Fisheries Services are being more motivated toward helping.” Blanchard said.

In a press release by the Southern Shrimp Alliance, they said the executive order provides federal agencies with both the mandate and tools to level the playing field permanently by:

1. Enforcing rigorous safety inspections for imported seafood, aligning FDA seafood practices with those of the USDA’s for siluriform, including pangasius and catfish
2. Blocking products tied to forced labor and environmental destruction, which can be done quickly through withhold release orders
3. Reducing regulatory burdens that uniquely disadvantage American shrimpers and incorporating less expensive and more reliable technologies and cooperative research programs into fishery assessments

“American shrimpers don’t fear fair competition,” said Kyle Williams, Southern Shrimp Alliance Executive Director. “What we seek is simply a marketplace where the highest standards of ethics, safety, and sustainability are rewarded, not penalized. President Trump’s executive order represents the most significant action in decades to restore American seafood sovereignty and protect seafood consumers.”

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