Our Coastal Economy & Shrimpers

Seafood is more than an economic strength of the Lowcountry, it's woven into our culture. That culture is at risk due to foreign competition and the lack of funding to support our local fishermen who deserve fair compensation for putting food on the table for South Carolinians. Additionally, foreign dumping of seafood such as shrimp harms the integrity of the Lowcountry. This District is sought after for its resources, including local seafood, and overlooking local workers who provide this benefit harms the essence of what makes the Lowcountry special. Failing to protect our local economy hurts all of us, which is why Michael B. Moore is prepared to champion the needs of our shrimpers in Congress.

Foreign shrimping has a right to enter U.S. markets and compete with local shrimpers, but we need to ensure that the playing field is balanced, allowing locals to succeed without fear of price gouging from foreign competition. To protect our local economy and way of life, Moore will support ongoing legislation such as the Save Our Shrimpers Act (H.7932) As your representative, Moore is ready to push the state legislature to finally pass a law on food labeling regulations in South Carolina. Over 90% of seafood is imported into the U.S., but we have shrimpers in our District working daily to provide clean, local shrimp. Moore will fight to pass a law mandating that restaurants describe their seafood as “local” only if caught or farmed in South Carolina. Other coastal states have passed similar laws, and time is up for us to promote the interests of local fishermen.

Moore promises to work tirelessly with state resources such as the South Carolina Shrimpers Association and the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium to solve local issues and secure federal funding. Under Nancy Mace, this isn't happening. She voted against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, which provided millions of dollars in funding for the National Sea Grant College Program and projects that support the livelihood of shrimpers. Under his leadership, Moore will push for increased funding toward programs such as Trawl to Trash, which received federal support to clean up our waterways, provide supplemental income for shrimpers, and partner with the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor. Mace voted against the legislation that funded projects like this, but Moore will always vote in favor of our local shrimpers.

To find out which Lowcountry restaurants use locally sourced shrimp, you can use the South Carolina Shrimper’s Association’s ongoing list. To ensure that shrimpers are represented in our restaurants, local economy, and Congress, vote for Michael B. Moore.