GULFPORT — Mississippi commercial fishermen say years of pushing lawmakers for tougher import and labeling rules are finally translating into national policy proposals — including a federal bill from U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith that would require clearer labeling on seafood. The measure follows state-level reforms along the Gulf Coast and comes as shrimpers warn domestic producers are struggling to compete with cheaper, foreign imports .

“We’ve certainly seen some attention the last couple of years,” said Ryan Bradley, executive director of Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United . “They’re hearing the alarm bells from not only our organization but many organizations all around the country about the dire straits that our seafood industry is in.”

Bradley, a fifth-generation com

See Full Page