As Alabama’s representative on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Sen. Tommy Tuberville has made it a priority to safe guard the Yellowhammer State’s agricultural resources and industries.

In keeping with that trend, Tuberville (R-Auburn) and a group of fellow Republican senators have introduced the Prioritizing Offensive Agricultural Disputes and Enforcement Act.

“Alabama’s shrimp industry can out-compete anyone in the world — as long as the rules are fair,” Tuberville said when discussing the need for bill. “But right now, the rules aren’t fair, and our fisherman are suffering because of other countries who cheat at their trade obligations. We can’t let that continue.

“This legislation would put a watchdog on agricultural trade to ensure that other countries play by the rules. That will let our fishermen thrive more than ever.”

If passed, the bill would create a joint task force on agricultural trade enforcement led by the U.S. trade representative and the Department of Agriculture. The task force will proactively monitor upcoming foreign subsidies, instead of waiting to react after subsidies are in place and bring them to the attention of the World Trade Organization. Also, the legislation will direct actions on countries that unfairly subsidize their producers and then flood the market with their products, such as India.

State shrimp farmers produce approximately 200,000 to 300,000 pounds of shrimp annually. In 2020, Commercial Fishing Operations landed approximately 25.3 million pounds of wild shrimp in Alabama. In 2021, Commercial Shrimp Landings in Alabama totaled $69.6 million in value.

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.