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Home > Current News > 2004

News: 2004

Increases in Shrimp Gear & Dealer Fees to Fund Shrimp Anti-dumping Petition
Posted: 10/14/04

Louisiana licensed shrimpers and the wholesale/retail seafood dealers who purchase shrimp will pay additional fees in license years 2005 and 2006 to help fund the shrimp anti-dumping petition.

To assist the Louisiana shrimp industry and counter the illegal importation of unfairly priced foreign shrimp into the United States, Act 904 of the 2004 regular legislative session requires commercial fishermen who purchase gear licenses for trawl, skimmer or butterfly nets to pay a new annual fee.

Endorsed by the Louisiana Wild Caught Shrimp Trade Action Advisory Council, the act stipulates payment only once during each of the two years, regardless of the number of shrimp net gear licenses purchased. The additional annual fees are $10 for residents and $40 for nonresidents, increasing the total annual fees to $20 for residents and $80 for nonresidents. All new fees collected are to be deposited into the Shrimp Trade Petition Account.

This new fee is in addition to the shrimp gear fee currently collected for deposit into the Seafood Marketing and Promotion Account for shrimp marketing and promotional activities administered by the Louisiana Seafood Marketing and Promotion Board.

Additionally, any wholesale/retail seafood dealer who is required to pay shrimp excise tax will also pay a new annual fee of $150 for residents and $600 for nonresidents. Any wholesale/retail seafood dealer who bought, sold, acquired, handled or purchased in excess of 250,000 pounds of shrimp equivalent to head-on weight during the previous license year will pay an additional annual fee of $1,000. These fees are also for deposit into the Shrimp Trade Petition Account and will be assessed for license years 2005
and 2006 only.

LDWF license renewal notices sent to shrimpers and to wholesale/retail dealers who purchase shrimp will contain reminders concerning these new fees. Commercial licenses for license year 2005 will be available for purchase beginning November 15, 2004. It is estimated that these new fees will generate approximately $268,000 annually over the next two years to fund the trade action.

In June, Governor Kathleen Blanco authorized the use of $350,000 in federal grant funds (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/U.S. Department of Commerce Award No. NA03NMF45203) in support of the trade action. The Louisiana Wild Caught Shrimp Trade Action Advisory Council is also continuing to examine and recommend additional funding sources in support of the trade action.

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