‘Implement a ban’: U.S. congressmen concerned about shrimp from India

U.S. congressmen have written to President Joe Biden about health and safety concerns surrounding the import of shrimp from India.

Garret Graves and Mary Sattler Peltola said they expressed worries about the White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) entering the United States through Indian shrimp imports in a previously written letter to the secretary of commerce and United States trade representative.

“Now, a slew of recent stories verified what our shrimpers know to be true: that cheap shrimp imported from India regularly do not meet domestic health standards1 and are produced using abusive labour practices, including child labour,” the March 22 letter reads. “We are asking your administration to halt these imports until you can make a coordinated, whole-of-government effort to protect the American seafood supply.” 

The Associated Press reported that Indian shrimp accounts for 40 percent of the shrimp consumed in the United States. Despite efforts to fund the Food and Drug Administration and bolster its testing capacity, the FDA is not currently testing a sufficient sample of seafood imports, they said, adding that the FDA routinely tests a fraction of one percent. 

“As a result, the American market is uniquely hospitable for Indian shrimp, despite frequent reports of contamination with banned antibiotics and veterinary drugs, salmonella, or filth.”

They asked the Biden administration to take swift action to protect American consumers. 

“We urge you to implement a ban on the import of Indian shrimp until the situation can be further analyzed. Our shrimpers here at home can help fill the void and provide safe and healthy shrimp to the American market while we work to ensure the safety of our seafood supply.”