About

Who Are We?

The Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA) is an organization of shrimp fishermen, shrimp processors, and other members of the domestic industry in the eight warmwater shrimp producing states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas.

Purpose

Founded in 2002, the SSA works to ensure the continued vitality and existence of the U.S. shrimp industry. The livelihoods of U.S. shrimpers are threatened by cheap, unfairly traded imported shrimp. The U.S market has become a dumping ground for shrimp that are turned away from other major seafood importing countries. Proposed restrictions on shrimp fishing and rapidly increasing costs of doing business also loom over the industry. The SSA is committed to preserving the long term viability of one of our nation’s most valuable fisheries, which for decades has been a foundation of the economy and social structure of countless coastal communities throughout the Gulf and Southeast regions.

Governance

The SSA is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The Board is composed of two elected representatives from each of the eight member-states, two Vietnamese-American Representatives, and two Business Committee representatives.

The Board sets policy and financial goals through majority rule decision making. The SSA has a small staff to implement Board decisions. It employs a full-time Executive Director and Executive Assistant.

Finances

The SSA’s accomplishments have required the services of a variety of individuals with expertise in areas such as fisheries biology, economics, and law. In addition, the organization has made contributions to state programs that benefit the U.S. shrimp industry, such as state marketing programs. The SSA has funded these efforts without federal appropriations.

The SSA’s budget is comprised of membership funds and other contributions to the organization.

As a 501(c)(6) trade association, the SSA files annual Forms 990 which are available for public review.