Federal Appropriations to Support U.S. Shrimp Industry, Strengthen Seafood Trade Enforcement
January 28, 2026 | 5 min to read
SSA helped secure over $23M in FY2026 to address critical challenges facing U.S. shrimpers
President Trump [recently] signed into law a $6.1 billion FY2026 “minibus” appropriations bill that includes funding for NOAA. Combined with earlier funding for the Department of Agriculture, the Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA) has successfully secured a record of over $23 million in federal funding to support the domestic shrimp industry and strengthen seafood trade enforcement. Most of these funds ($17.45M) are the result of SSA’s direct advocacy, while the remainder ($6.7M) come from coalition work with other fisheries. All of the appropriations address critical challenges facing U.S. shrimp fishermen and processors.
“Previous Administrations have imposed layers of excessive, costly regulations on our industry, while giving our foreign competitors a pass on protecting our oceans,” explained Blake Price, deputy director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance.“However, Congress continues to strengthen federal statutes and provide funding that focuses more on improving the standards of imported shrimp that make up 94% of the market and enabling sustainable U.S. shrimpers to compete. This aligns with the President’s Executive Order on restoring American seafood competitiveness.”
Appropriations Requested Directly by SSA ($17.45M)
NOAA Electronic Logbook Program- $850,000
Secured with the support of a number of ‘shrimp state’ Senators and Representatives, this ongoing funding supports the development of new technology that is replacing outdated 3G electronic logbook systems, and is covering equipment and installation costs so fishermen won’t have to pay. This brings the total funding secured for this program to $2.55M, ensuring the continuous collection of fishing effort data, which is essential for demonstrating red snapper and sea turtle conservation compliance and preserving access to traditional shrimping grounds.
Foreign TED Enforcement – $600,000
Secured through Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), this funding helps to provide a more level playing field for U.S. shrimpers by strengthening enforcement of Section 609 requirements that prohibit shrimp imports from countries without comparable sea turtle protection measures, such as Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs).
Seafood Import Promotion Ban
Directs NOAA Fisheries to ensure its National Seafood Strategy prioritizes U.S. producers and does not promote imported seafood consumption. The language, based on SSA’s 2023 comments on the National Seafood Strategy (see Goal 3), addresses the original intent of NOAA Fisheries to use U.S. taxpayer dollars to promote America’s consumption of imported seafood. This SSA legacy provision now covers both shrimp and crawfish, recognizing how import surges have overwhelmed domestic markets and driven down dockside prices.
FDA Seafood Import Testing – no less than $15M of $1.17B
Advanced through Senator Bill Cassidy’s (R-LA) leadership, these funds help FDA inspect foreign seafood manufacturers and conduct field examinations of imported seafood. Recognizing that much more is needed to end the extreme imbalance between standards for domestic and foreign seafood producers, it is helpful to have this funding and specific language repeated since FY2024.
USDA Domestic Shrimp Purchases
Secured through Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), this provision encourages USDA to maximize Section 32 program purchases of U.S. warm-water shrimp to help reduce the unprecedented import surplus that has driven prices to unsustainable levels for U.S. shrimpers.
Coalition Appropriations ($6.7M)
USDA Seafood Industry Liaison – $500,000
Creates a dedicated position to coordinate seafood policies across USDA and with the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative, supporting domestically harvested and processed wild and farmed seafood. SSA worked in coalition with fishery stakeholders nationwide to establish a significant new position to help fishermen, similar to USDA’s extensive support of U.S. farmers.
Seafood Import Monitoring Programs (SIMP) – $6.2M
Funds NOAA’s implementation and modernization of import tracking systems, with emphasis on detecting seafood fraud and preventing seafood imports produced in Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fisheries, particularly from high-risk countries. Through improved traceability, the program aims to strengthen enforcement, keeping illegal seafood—including products produced with IUU fishing and forced labor—out of U.S. markets. SSA provided critical support to Senate Appropriations Committee staff and continues to work with NOAA and other stakeholders on reforms to enhance the program’s effectiveness.
These victories reflect SSA’s ongoing advocacy and strong partnerships with key Senate champions to level the playing field for American shrimp producers facing unprecedented anti-competitive pressures from imported shrimp.
About the Southern Shrimp Alliance
The Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA) is an organization of shrimp fishermen, shrimp processors, and other members of the domestic industry in the eight warmwater shrimp producing states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas.