Study: Shreveport restaurants misrepresent imported shrimp as wild Gulf shrimp
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Where you stand on the name of the Gulf of water south of Louisiana is not nearly as important as where the shrimp on your plate came from.
A recent report revealed that 58% of restaurants sampled in Shreveport were found to advertise or imply they serve Gulf wild-caught shrimp falsely. Rapid ID Genetic Highly-Accurate Test (RIGHTTest) revealed that farm-raised imported shrimp are being passed along to unknowing consumers as authentic Gulf shrimp. Samples taken between March 8-10, 2025, showed that the Shreveport sample contained the highest inauthenticity rate in Louisiana.
SEAD Consulting has conducted the ongoing study, which found that in February 2025, the lowest rate of foreign farm-raised fraud was in New Orleans, with 13%, Baton Rouge, with 30%, and Lafayette, with 33% of the shrimp being Gulf imposters.
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Back to Shreveport, out of 24 restaurants sampled, 17 were serving imported shrimp, and 14 of those were not labeled correctly, excluding the country of origin on the menu or denoting in signage that the shrimp was not from the nearest shrimp-filled waterway.
'What was shocking to me,' said SEAD COO Erin Williams, 'is that six of the 24 restaurants were blatantly being deceptive by labeling dishes as 'Gulf shrimp' (not just implying it through décor, location, and imagery), and served the SEAD investigation team imported shrimp instead.' This fraudulent practice not only misleads consumers but undermines Louisiana's shrimping industry.
Shreveport is not as close to the Gulf as Louisiana's southernmost city, but that's not an excuse for passing off imported shrimp as if they were sourced from closer waterways. However, choosing the often 'cheaper' shrimp option instead of Gulf shrimp impacts Louisiana fishermen who are already fighting against environmental challenges, as well as those who earn their keep sourcing seafood.
'This is a blow to the culture of Louisiana, where authenticity in food is paramount,' said Rodney Olander, Chairman of the Louisiana Shrimp Task Force. 'When consumers are misled, it hurts local shrimpers and damages the reputation of our beloved seafood industry. We have the support of Southern Louisiana, but clearly not the entire state.'
So if you want to eat Gulf shrimp that hasn't traveled, been frozen, or processed to get to your plate, the following local restaurants serve authentic Gulf shrimp.
Chuck Wagon Crawfish, Copeland's of New Orleans (E. Bert Kouns Industrial Loop), The Crabby Crawfish, Drago's Seafood Restaurant, Flying Burger and Seafood, The Noble Savage, and Oyster Bar & Grille.
In the Louisiana study, the restaurants found to be serving imported shrimp without proper menu labeling on signage were released to the Louisiana Department of Health for review and enforcement.
The Louisiana Shrimp Task Force studies and monitors the shrimp industry and makes recommendations to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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