HB 2343 – Will require restaurants to inform customers – either through signage or a note on the menu – whether the shrimp they serve is domestic or foreign.
Please call the Trade, Workforce, and Economic Development Committee at (512) 463-0069 and leave a message.
UPDATE ON MAY 5, 2025: Please call and request that the Committee Report be advanced to the Calendar Committee. (Source: State Representative Terri Leo Wilson – Facebook Page).
May 5, 2025
Support State Representative Terri Leo Wilson!
The Shrimp On My Plate Better Be Wearing a Cowboy Hat!
By Marsha Wilson Rappaport
Remember sliding down a hot slide and landing on the ground in elementary school?
Remember jumping out of a swing when it got high enough?
We all have gray hair now, and those memories are almost painful. Simply put, we can’t do any of those things anymore without risking serious injury.
The same thing applies to food choices. We have to be very careful at this age. A simple case of food poisoning can lead to a major health crisis.
That being explained, seniors need to be aware of HB 2343, which is being championed by our local State Representative Terri Leo Wilson. Wilson, one of the co-authors of the bill, is eliciting public support to move the bill out of committee in order to protect the Texas shrimping industry and to protect us from imported shrimp.
There are a host of good reasons to support her efforts:
Reason 1: Texas has done a good job of protecting our fisheries, and there are plenty of shrimp and fish to go around.
How do I know that?
For a decade in my younger days, I was a contributing writer for Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine. What I discovered is that, unlike many fisheries on the East Coast, Texas would not allow big mega-trawlers that depleted U.S. fish stocks into our waters. Moreover, Texas Parks and Wildlife has operated re-stocking programs for critical species like Spotted Sea Trout for years.
Imported shrimp are not needed here.
Reason 2: A lot of imported shrimp are from fish farms. They are not wild caught.
How did I know that?
While writing stories, I did one where I visited a shrimp farm in the Rio Grande Valley. I consulted with a professor at Texas A&M - Corpus Christi for the story. During that research, I found out that the United States and most especially Texas, highly regulates aquatic farms in Texas. That is not the case in many other countries. Pollutants often include chemical run-off and even raw sewage.
Imported shrimp are not needed here.
The most obvious reason is pure selfishness. Galveston Island is a top tourist destination. It can be a cost-effective trip from the city that offers tropical vibes without the tropical plane fares.
There is a special thrill attached to sitting on the seawall, munching on shrimp that could have been literally netted in the morning. When you aren’t a kid anymore, it is that kind of small meaningful memory that really counts!