Shrimp
Trade Action Advisory Council to Meet
Posted:
1/28/05
The Louisiana Wild
Caught Shrimp Trade Action Advisory Council will meet Wednesday,
February 2, at 10:00 a.m. in the Louisiana Room at the Department
of Wildlife and Fisheries building in Baton Rouge. In an effort
to assist trade action efforts targeting the illegal dumping
of foreign shrimp into U.S. markets, Governor Kathleen Blanco
issued Executive Order KBB 2004-05 that reestablished the
Louisiana Wild Caught Shrimp Trade Action Advisory Council.
The council's duties
include supporting and assisting a trade action brought by
a consolidated wild caught shrimp industry, exploring and
developing funding sources and mechanisms to assist and support
such trade action, and recommending proposed legislation to
fund the trade action.
Council members
are appointed by the Governor and include shrimp industry
representatives, state legislators and representatives from
the Governor's Office and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife
and Fisheries.
According to Council
Chairman John Roussel, Assistant Secretary of the LDWF, the
wild caught shrimp industry is an integral part of Louisiana's
history and culture as well as a major component of the state's
economy providing employment and tax revenue to the state.
According to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS),
preliminary landings statistics indicate that Louisiana shrimp
landings through November 2004 totaled approximately 77.85
million pounds (all species combined/heads-off weight) and
comprised 56.5 percent of total Gulf of Mexico shrimp landings.
Although dockside prices continue to be impacted by foreign
shrimp imports, Louisiana shrimp landings for the year are
on pace to become the third highest on record. Annual landings
in 1986, 2000 and 2001 totaled 93.7, 92.2 and 79.1 million
pounds, respectively.
EDITORS:
For more information, contact Martin Bourgeois at (985) 594-4130
or mbourgeois@wlf.louisiana.gov.
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