The United States has funneled over $1 billion into promoting shrimp farming abroad between 1998 and 2023, a move that some in Congress contend may breach federal law designed to shield American industries from foreign rivalry. This funding, channeled through United Nations agencies like the Food and Agriculture Organization and the International Finance Corporation—both partly bankrolled by the U.S.—has raised eyebrows among domestic shrimp advocates.

The Southern Shrimp Alliance, a group representing American fishermen, highlights that more than half of this sum, exceeding $500 million, flowed to Ecuadorian companies. Other significant recipients include the Philippines, China, India, and Indonesia, each pocketing over $100 million, alongside smaller allocations to Peru, Mexico, Belize, and various nations across Latin America and Southeast Asia.

Voting Records Under Scrutiny

The alliance points to a consistent pattern in America’s stance at the UN: since 2006, U.S. representatives have either supported or abstained from voting on shrimp-related initiatives 17 times, never casting a dissenting vote. This acquiescence has fueled concerns that Washington’s international commitments are undermining its own shrimp fleet.

Meanwhile, the domestic shrimp industry has felt the pinch. Landings valued at $522 million in 2021 plummeted to $268 million by 2023. The Southern Shrimp Alliance attributes this decline largely to foreign competition, particularly from Ecuador, which has boosted its shrimp exports to the U.S. by 150% over the past four years, flooding the market and depressing prices.

Legislative Pushback Gains Momentum

In a pointed November 2024 oversight letter, Representatives Clay Higgins, James Comer, and Troy Nehls argued that America’s voting record contravenes a 1986 statute. This law mandates the Treasury to leverage U.S. influence to block assistance from international bodies if it risks “substantial injury” to domestic producers of competing goods—shrimp included. The trio has called on the Government Accountability Office to probe the full ramifications of this funding.

Adding weight to their case, Nehls and Higgins, joined by 14 congressional colleagues, reintroduced the Save Our Shrimpers Act in March 2025. The legislation aims to slam the door on U.S. funds supporting foreign shrimp farming through international financial institutions, signaling a robust defense of an embattled American industry.