Rep. Nancy Mace Introduces Four Farm Bill Amendments Putting South Carolina's Shrimpers And Fishermen First

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Apr. 27, 2026) - Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-SC) introduced four amendments to the Farm Bill and cosponsored a fifth to deliver long-overdue federal support to South Carolina's commercial shrimping and fishing industries.

The package extends United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) loan and grant programs to fishermen and fish processors, creates a new Office of Seafood within USDA, bans foreign seafood from SNAP eligibility, expands market access for wild-caught American seafood, and blocks U.S. taxpayer dollars from funding foreign shrimp operations through international financial institutions.

South Carolina's shrimpers, fishermen, and seafood processors are the backbone of the Lowcountry economy. Yet the coastal fishing industry has been shut out of the same federal support available to every land-based farmer in America. These amendments fix it. South Carolina's watermen have earned the respect and resources, and it is long past time Washington delivered.

"Washington has ignored the hardworking men and women who keep South Carolina's coastal economy alive for far too long," said Congresswoman Mace. "The Lowcountry's shrimpers, fishermen, and seafood processors are a driving force behind our state and a lifeline for families up and down the South Carolina coast. They deserve the same federal support as every other American farmer. Our amendments deliver it. America's fishermen are farmers of the sea, and it's long past time Washington finally treats them like it."

Bryan Jones, Vice President of the South Carolina Shrimpers Association, provided the following statement in support of the amendments:

"On behalf of the South Carolina Shrimpers Association and all the men and women who make their living on the waters of the Palmetto State, I want to thank Congresswoman Nancy Mace for sponsoring amendments to the 2026 Farm Bill to codify the Office of Seafood within the U.S. Department of Agriculture and ensure America's shrimpers, harvesters, and fishermen, the 'farmers of the sea', have access to USDA programs that already support farmers and ranchers across the country," said Jones. "For generations, coastal families and working waterfront communities in South Carolina and across the United States have depended on a thriving domestic seafood industry. At a time when our fishermen face growing pressure from unfair foreign competition, it is in our national interest to support a strong and reliable American seafood supply. We applaud Congresswoman Mace's leadership and urge leaders in the House and Senate to adopt these important amendments and pass the Farm Bill."

WHAT EACH AMENDMENT DOES:

1. Establishing a USDA Office of Seafood: This amendment codifies the newly established Office of Seafood within the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide leadership and expertise on issues facing the seafood industry. The Office will coordinate USDA programs to ensure fishermen are fully integrated, and will work alongside the Department of Commerce and other federal partners to revitalize the American seafood industry.

2. USDA Farm Loans for Commercial Fishermen and Fish Processors: This amendment amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to expand eligibility for various USDA programs, as well as USDA farm ownership and operating loans, to include commercial fishermen and fish processors. Fishing vessels and fish processing facilities would be treated on par with farms and ranches, allowing fishermen to access federal loans to acquire vessels, permits, and equipment, resources which help keep American seafood businesses competitive and operational.

3. Local Agriculture Market Program Grants for the Fishing Industry: This amendment opens up USDA's Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) grants to commercial fishing and fish processing businesses, allowing wild-caught American seafood to qualify as an eligible agricultural commodity for domestic seafood marketing activities. It also gives the Secretary of Agriculture authority to waive or reduce matching fund requirements for fishing industry grant recipients, removing a key barrier to entry for small fishing operations.

4. Banning Foreign Seafood from SNAP: American taxpayer dollars should support American fishermen, not foreign competitors. This amendment excludes seafood not harvested, cultivated, and processed within the United States from being purchased with SNAP benefits, protecting domestic producers and ensuring federal food assistance dollars stay in American hands.

5. Blocking International Financing of Foreign Shrimp Operations: Rep. Mace is cosponsoring this amendment, led by Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX), which directs the U.S. Treasury to instruct American representatives at international financial institutions to oppose any foreign assistance or financing which supports shrimp farming, shrimp processing, or shrimp exports in foreign countries. American shrimpers, including those along the South Carolina coast, cannot compete against foreign operations subsidized by international institutions backed by U.S. dollars. This amendment puts American workers first.

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