New tariffs ranging from 15% to 20% take effect this week on a wide range of imported goods, including fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, and fish.
While shoppers may feel the pinch at the checkout, some in the U.S. seafood industry see an opportunity.
Nearly 85% of the seafood consumed in the United States is imported, according to Galveston fisherman, Scott Hickman. Major seafood suppliers including Vietnam and Indonesia both now facing new tariffs of up to 20%. The changes, part of the latest round of President Donald Trump’s trade war, are prompting renewed focus on sourcing food domestically.
For longtime Galveston fisherman Hickman, this is a welcome shift.
“America’s become addicted to cheap seafood that’s raised in ways they wouldn’t approve,” Hickman said. “Most Americans, I think, would rather spend a little bit more for the shrimp po’ boy or the crab fingers if they know it’s American-produced.”
Hickam says tariffs level the playing field for fishermen. He’s also pointing to new legislation in Congress looking to expand seafood production in the United States.
The Marine Aquaculture Research for America (MARA) Act, introduced by Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Roger Wicker (R-MS), aims to build a framework for open ocean aquaculture in federal waters. If passed, the bipartisan bill would allow for large-scale commercial aquaculture, essentially fish farming, in offshore net pens.
“It’s a pathway forward for U.S.-produced aquaculture,” Hickman explained. “We already have inland farms like that down in Palacios, Texas. This would be offshore, higher production rates, more productivity. They feed them there, raise them there, and harvest them there. That’s American-produced seafood.”
Hickam is a part of the Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture. The group supports the bipartisan legislation. On their website the say the MARA Act would, “Create a path for commercial-scale demonstration projects with strict environmental performance standards to better understand scientific, environmental, and economic aspects of open ocean aquaculture in the U.S.”
“Cod from Alaska, pollock from Alaska, shrimp and red snapper from the Gulf—these domestic products will finally have a more level playing field,” Hickman said.
A recent survey found that 33% of Americans say grocery shopping is a major source of stress, and many families are already struggling to keep food costs down.
Despite that, Hickman believes Americans may be open to change when it comes to seafood.
“There’s nothing better than Gulf shrimp,” he said. “There’s nothing that tastes better. Farming shrimp overseas doesn’t even taste good.”
The future of the MARA Act remains uncertain as Congress remains in recess. However, advocates like Hickman and the Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture are actively lobbying in Washington.
