PAUL INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO
HELP COMMERCIAL SHRIMPERS
10/09/2002
Washington, DC: Congressman Ron Paul today introduced legislation designed to aid the struggling domestic shrimping industry. HR 5578, the Shrimp Importation Financing Fairness Act, places a moratorium on restrictive regulations burdening the shrimping industry. The bill also puts an end to taxpayer-funded subsidies that benefit foreign shrimpers at the expense of domestic jobs.
"Current federal policies place American shrimpers at a competitive disadvantage in the international marketplace," Paul stated. "First, our shrimpers face far too many burdensome regulations- regulations that don’t affect foreign competitors. Second, we subsidize foreign shrimpers with American tax dollars, through foreign aid payments and trade financing schemes like the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the International Monetary Fund. This misguided approach has had a devastating effect on commercial shrimpers in the Texas gulf coast and beyond."
Paul’s bill suspends new federal regulations on domestic shrimpers, who already comply with onerous environmental restrictions and endangered species rules. 70% of the shrimp consumed in the U.S. is imported from nations that do not operate under the same rules as American shrimpers. China, Ecuador, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, and Brazil exported more than 20 million pounds of shrimp to America during the first months of 2002. Paul’s legislation would eliminate all foreign aid to these seven nations until they dramatically reduce the amount of shrimp exported to America.
"The shrimping industry is a vital social and economic force in coastal communities across America," Paul concluded. "Our shrimpers need immediate regulatory relief, combined with the elimination of subsidies for foreign competitors. It is time for Congress to rein in regulation-happy bureaucrats before price depression destroys the domestic shrimping industry."
Sunday August 1 2004 will be the 36th Annual Blessing of the Fleet – Decorated shrimp boats pleasure craft file past the Cadillac Mexican Restaurant where the officiating priest & minister bless each of the boats.
But the value of his business is private value that acts as a wedge driving the government away from minute control of the citizenry. It is the beginnings of the process of entering the modern free world economy that will prove ultimately fatal to the Communist government. The harder the US works to abort this process in Viet Nam the longer the Communists, as communists, will be able to maintain themselves in power.
Much of the Vietnamese emigre community here are shrimpers and have come to resent the "cheap" Vietnamese imports also and I have these arguments with my friends about it. They mostly understand that the US government and state restrictions on our own industry are at fault but also understand that there is not much likelihood that that will change. Some also understand that the commercial fisheries is a labor intensive industry that is more efficiently done in poor countries. These enlightened ones are discouraging their sons from following the trade and encouraging them to stay in school and go to college.
Okaaayy... I don't know from nothing about the shrimp business but I can still recognize a familiar pattern when it's staring me in the face. Remember the steel tariffs of '02? Remember what a costly, counterproductive face plant THAT turned out to be? Climb onto my knee, children and let me tell you of Thomas Sowell and the Parable of the Buggy Whip Manufacturers...
"A group representing the American Seafood Distributors Association and the Consuming Industries Trade Action Coalition calculates that retail prices will go up 30 percent under one range of duties, and 44 percent under another range..."
"Shrimp has become America's No. 1 seafood becauseimports of high-quality, affordable shrimp have allowed more American restaurants — from family owned restaurants to the most popular chains — to sell a wider variety of shrimp dishes, and American grocery stores to sell millions of pounds of shrimp," Wally Stevens, representing the group, said in a prepared statement.
"Without these imports, shrimp would still be an expensive luxury food that only the rich can afford."
Shrimp boat owners and shrimp processors, representing major states including Louisiana and Texas, describe the anti-dumping effort as a last-ditch effort to stay in business in the face of zooming imports of pond-raised shrimp, which have slashed prices they are able to get at the boat."
Let's look at this from the administration's point of view first. How many of you out there think it's possible, just maybe possible that there are significantly more honest, hard-working, taxpaying, Willie-Nelson-song-worthy people working in the shrimp importing, processing, retailing, preparing & serving businesses than there are shrimpers. Yes? No? Hands please? That certainly turned out to be the case for steel (i.e. many more people in the steel USING industries than steel MAKING). Of course, in beltwayland it's all about who has the best representation down on "K" street (and who has more tear-jerking celebrities in their corner [Bubba Gump, call your office]).
I read a fascinating article in the "Economist" some months back. Shrimp farming is the original aquaculture and China and VietNam have been doing it for millenia. Lately, the technology has improved in leaps and bounds, and although I have no figures in front of me I am given to understand that farmed shrimp now furnish more of the market than "wild" shrimp. If shrimp FISHING is in eclipse all around the world then let us stop trying to deceive ourselves.
"Current federal policies place American shrimpers at a competitive disadvantage in the international marketplace," Paul stated. "First, our shrimpers face far too many burdensome regulations- regulations that don’t affect foreign competitors. Second, we subsidize foreign shrimpers with American tax dollars, through foreign aid payments and trade financing schemes like the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the International Monetary Fund. This misguided approach has had a devastating effect on commercial shrimpers in the Texas gulf coast and beyond."
Paul’s bill suspends new federal regulations on domestic shrimpers, who already comply with onerous environmental restrictions and endangered species rules. 70% of the shrimp consumed in the U.S. is imported from nations that do not operate under the same rules as American shrimpers."
When it comes to OPIC and the IMF I'm with Rep. Paul all the way. Corporate welfare is a subject in which I'm actually in agreement with the Michael Moore types. We have all talked ourselves blue in the face when it comes to the subject of "foreign aid" so I'll let that one go. I find it all too easy to believe that Gulf Coast shrimpers labor under onerous enviro regs designed by the greenies more to put them out of business than protect endangered species. When it comes to the perennial charges of subsidized foreigners and the ever-popular "dumping" charge I'm a lot more dubious. Just how many countries can afford to subsidize their industries to sell at a loss in anticipation of one day controlling the world market in a specific commodity before going bankrupt? On closer examination, not too damn many, methinks.
"Other thing about shrimping is that it's a disaster to fish species; can't catch shrimp without catching huge numbers of juvenile fish that are killed.
Especially when they drag nets inside of the third sand bar."
"Shrimping is environmentally destructive, and severely reduces stocks of sport fish, including redfish, black drum, and flounder. The sooner we get rid of the Gulf shrimping fleet, the better.
I have a good friend in Texas who is leading a conservation initiative to buy up shrimping licenses and retire them. He's retired a bunch so far. I suspect these low prices will tempt more shrimpers to sell their licenses.
Fewer shrimpers = better fishing!!!!"
And yes, let's talk about the environment, from the common-sense angle (as opposed to the Gaia-worshippers) If these arguments are correct it makes much more sense from the green-eyeshade perspective to let shrimping die a natural death--unless, as mentioned elsewhere--shrimpers can drum up a market for wild-caught, yankee-doodle, Texas Gulf shrimp. One thing I do know for certain is that MY living is not being subsidized by the taxpayer and I am damned if I am going to have my dollars go (whether in the form of higher taxes or higher consumer prices) to maintain certain of my countrymen as colorful exhibits in a Colonial Williamsburg writ large. This is NOT France, and we do NOT subsidize street mimes either.