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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Americans love to eat the humble but tasty shrimp, |
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and the shrimp caught off the Gulf Coast of Texas is among the most |
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coveted of the varieties enjoyed by diners across the nation; and |
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WHEREAS, Approximately 90 percent of the shrimp consumed by |
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Americans is imported from foreign tank farms, which makes Gulf |
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shrimp a special treat; these low-calorie sources of protein can be |
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served in many ways, either boiled, deep-fried, grilled, or |
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pan-fried, and they are an excellent source of selenium, iron, |
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zinc, and vitamins D and B12, as well as omega-3 fats; the average |
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American eats more than four pounds of shrimp each year; and |
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WHEREAS, More than 80 percent of the shrimp harvested in the |
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United States comes from the Gulf of Mexico, and Texas ranks as one |
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of the leading producers of wild-caught shrimp, shipping large |
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quantities of this healthy and sustainable food to restaurants and |
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grocery stores nationwide; the Texas seafood industry generates |
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more than $850 million in sales each year and accounts for over |
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14,000 jobs, and Gulf shrimping has become a way of life for many |
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families in such communities as Port Arthur, Galveston, Palacios, |
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and Port Isabel; and |
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WHEREAS, Like barbecue and Tex-Mex, the shrimp caught off the |
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Gulf Coast of Texas has become one of the signature foods of Lone |
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Star cuisine and an essential part of the economy and the cultural |
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heritage of our state; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate the Texas Gulf shrimp as the Official State |
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Crustacean of Texas. |