US senator drafting new shrimp legislation

 

 

US senator David Vitter is drafting a bill that could strengthen national shrimp inspection laws, ban contaminated imports and impose strong penalties for improper labelling.

 

Vitter announced his plans to the Louisiana Shrimp Task Force, which was created earlier this year by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal to help the industry overcome low dockside prices and foreign competition.

 

Up to now, the task force has focused on pushing state-level legislation, which includes making the task force permanent, increasing the shrimp excise tax for marketing efforts and creating a new programme that would certify Louisiana shrimp.

 

Such ideas could be up for debate when the state Legislature convenes its regular session in the spring.

 

At the federal level, however, representatives from the office of US Senator Mary Landrieu told task-force members that they're prepared to work hand-in-hand with Vitter's team.

 

Vitter outlined the actions that could be taken in coming weeks, the first of which is a standalone bill that would:

• Increase inspections on all foreign-shipped seafood and hold importers to the same standards as domestic suppliers,
   
• ban US sales from countries with a history of supplying tainted shrimp,
   
• strengthen penalties for mislabelling, or misrepresenting foreign-caught shrimp as being from Louisiana.

Vitter said the legislation is in the ''conceptual stages.'' His goal is to have the legislation added to a larger food safety bill the Senate is expected to take up next year.

 

State Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain suggested having state inspection officials enter into an agreement with the federal government to help inspect seafood, as less than 1% of containers are being inspected.

 

In the coming February, President Barack Obama's administration will consider whether antidumping orders placed on the shrimp industries of five exporting countries - Brazil, India, Vietnam, China and Thailand - will remain to protect domestic fishermen and processors.

 

The federal government is considering settling with exporters from Thailand on US$120 million in back tariffs, which could allow Thailand to escape future tariffs.

 

Danny Dabin of Houma, representative of processors on the task force, said if that happens, every other country will attempt the same and there will be no tariffs.

 

Dabin said, ''I mean, they have the worst record out there with child labour, and we're going to settle with them?''

 

Vitter, Landrieu and the rest of Louisiana's delegation are also expected to take a look at other issues, such as removing shrimp from the commodity market, seeking federal money to create products and following up on the existing tariff collections.