New law would charge fees for importing overseas seafood

Lawmakers in Louisiana are moving forward with legislation aimed at making seafood importers pay higher fees.

House Bill 676 would institute a licensing fee structure for wholesale and retail dealers who import shrimp, crawfish, or crab. The fee would increase based on pounds imported.

Under the law, a company importing up to 5,000 pounds of shrimp would pay a fee of $500 (€462). It would pay $100,000 (€92,366) for importing 500,000 or more pounds of shrimp.

The legislation is needed to keep the local, wild shrimp harvesting industry alive, according Louisiana Shrimp Association President Acy Cooper.