Are you sure that ‘Gulf’ shrimp came from the Gulf? Maybe not

( KLFY ) — Think you love Gulf shrimp? A Texas-based seafood consulting firm says it’s possible you’ve never even tasted it.

According to SeaD Consulting , India and Ecuador flooded the American market with more shrimp in the first four months of 2024 than the total U.S. annual production of the previous year.

In a news release, the firm said sample genetic testing at last month’s Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival in Morgan City revealed that only one of the five vendors sampled was actually serving shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico.

“The deception goes beyond restaurateurs perhaps unknowingly purchasing imported shrimp,” the release reads. “Some establishments intentionally mislead diners by using menu and dining room imagery to strongly imply they’re serving shrimp harvested at sea.”

According to Oceana , an international advocacy group dedicated to ocean conservation, 90% of the shrimp consumed in the United States is imported, and almost all of that comes from farms in Southeast Asia and Central America.

As quoted in the release, Doug Olander, a commercial shrimp fisherman from St. Mary Parish, whose boats have mostly remained docked for two years, said the supply chain needs the transparency that widespread testing provides.

“This type of fraud should be a crime,” Olander said. “When you buy ‘Gulf’ shrimp, you think you’re supporting American fishermen. Instead, these lies are killing our businesses.  Most of our distributors are opting for this cheaper imported shrimp. This has got to stop.”

A state law adopted in 2019 requires restaurants to indicate on their menus or on a sign if they serve imported shrimp or crawfish, but many restaurants have not complied with it — whether knowingly or unknowingly — and have faced no consequences. That law, which provides for inspections of restaurants and retailers by the Louisiana Department of Health, says first-time violations carry a $50 fine. But the state health department doesn’t have jurisdiction to issue those fines.

A new law, set to take effect Jan. 1, hopes to remedy that. Act 148 , signed into law by Gov. Jeff Landry in May, states in part, “No person shall engage in marketing, labeling, packaging, or advertising of crawfish, shrimp, or any product thereof, that implies or suggests any association with Louisiana’s culture and heritage if the association is likely to deceive the public as to its origin.”

The law provides for fines of up to $15,000 for the first offense, up to $50,000 for a third and each subsequent offense. It also authorizes the Louisiana Commission of Weights and Measures to levy those fines.

Houston-based SeaD Consulting said it has developed a Rapid ID Genetics High-accuracy Test that can determine the species of shrimp within two hours (previously four days).

“This technology revolutionizes the industry, enabling real-time action against fraudulent practices,” said Dave Williams, commercial fishery scientist and SeaD Consulting founder. “The test is fast, inexpensive and accurate. If a restauranteur or retailer chooses to sell farm-raised imported shrimp instead of local-caught, they simply need to correctly inform their customers.”

Williams said he is hoping that governmental agencies, seafood processors, retailers and restaurants will use this new testing as a method for ensuring that customers are getting what they think they’re paying for.

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