One local member of Congress is joining calls to help the shrimping industry in the Rio Grande Valley.

Representative Vicente Gonzalez is asking for the US Department of Commerce to issue a disaster declaration in support of Valley shrimpers.

Several cities along the Gulf Coast — including Port Isabel — issued their own disaster declaration.

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Gonzalez says the declaration is needed as shrimpers face high fuel prices, labor shortages and competition from cheap imported shrimp.

“Just this year, our Texas shrimpers have produced almost about 7 million pounds of shrimp. In that same time period, we've imported about 800 million from around the world,” Gonzalez said. “We need to take care of our shrimpers the same way we do our farmers. They need subsidies, they need help. So I wrote a letter to the secretary of commerce this week asking for more support."

Gonzalez said disaster declarations are typically made by state governors.

Gov. Greg Abbott hasn’t issued one, but there is a provision that allows the secretary of commerce to issue their own disaster declaration.