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Victory for Louisiana Shrimpers: Federal Judge Delays Burdensome Regulation

AG Jeff Landry Recognizes Injunction as Major Win for Hard-Working Louisianans

BATON ROUGE, LA – In a major win for Louisiana shrimpers, a federal judge granted Attorney General Jeff Landry’s emergency request to delay implementation of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) 2019 Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) rule in Louisiana inshore waters.

“The 2019 Final Rule posed an existential threat to Louisiana’s shrimping industry, and implementing this rule would have been a devastating blow to our State’s economy,” said Attorney General Landry. “In addition to the current financial and logistical difficulties of installing TEDs – the industry and the government face Hurricane as well as COVID-related supply-chain, manpower, and training disruptions that make it impossible to enforce any time soon.”

In granting Attorney General Landry’s motion for preliminary injunction, Judge Jane Triche Milazzo enjoined NMFS from imposing 84 Fed. Reg. 70,048 (Dec. 20, 2019) in Louisiana inshore waters until February 1, 2022.

“The Court rightly stated that ‘the Plaintiff’s and the Public’s interest in preserving Louisiana’s economy outweighs the Agency’s interest in beginning enforcement of the Final Rule on August 1.’ I applaud Judge Milazzo for her common-sense ruling,” concluded Attorney General Landry. “Without this relief, our State’s hard-working shrimpers would have been sidelined during the peak of their season, causing irreparable harm to an already at-risk industry and depriving folks across the Nation from enjoying the very best shrimp on the market.”

The case is captioned State of Louisiana v. Department of Commerce, No. 2:21-cv-1523 (E.D. La.). Louisiana is represented by Attorney General Jeff Landry's Solicitor General Elizabeth Murrill, Deputy Solicitor General Scott St. John, and Assistant Attorney General Machelle Hall.