MAURICE, La. (KLFY) – Cheryl Granger and her husband, a shrimp fisherman, have been in the shrimp business for 29 years. They own Granger’s Seafood in Maurice. She said imported shrimp from Southeast Asia started flooding the market about 10 years ago. Granger says it’s hurt all Louisiana shrimpers.

“They’re all upset,” Granger said. “Everybody’s taken a bad lick from this and together I think I can speak for the majority of the local shrimpers that we need help from Congress.”

Rep. Charles Boustany (R-Lafayette) and Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-New Orleans) first introduced the PROTECT Act in 2012. It would give U.S. Customs more tools to inspect foreign shrimp and stop illegal trade practices. It’s included in 2015’s Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcment Act, which the House Ways and Means Committee passed in April. Jack Pandol, Boustany’s Communications Director, said it could go to the House floor as early as next week.

“The government’s checking but they’re not checking hard enough. They need to regulate this and check it close,” Granger said.

Ray Hough, Sr. is from Zwolle, La. and was buying shrimp from Granger’s to sell in Toledo Bend. He said foreign shrimp contain chemicals and are grown in ponds with raw sewage.

“I see it affecting the local seafood industry tremendously, but the big thing is it affects the people in general because those imports, they have the USDA stamp on them but they are not healthy,” Hough said.

Granger encourages stores and restaurants to check the labels and make sure the shrimp is local. She said her company buys shrimp from many local shrimpers and will be labeling their product soon. She’s hopeful Congress will pass the PROTECT Act.