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New York Times
30-04-2025
- Science
- New York Times
Investigating Shrimp Fraud Is an Urgent Matter on the Gulf Coast
Imagine sitting down for a meal at a restaurant with a view of the ocean. You are on vacation, and the restaurant's décor includes fishnets, pictures of boats and taxidermied exemplars of the local catch. You order a plate of shrimp, reasonably expecting it to have come from nearby waters. Way too often it comes from thousands of miles away, Dave Williams told a small crowd at the Louisiana Shrimp Festival on a summer-hot day in New Orleans last fall. 'And that's despicable,' he said. Mr. Williams is a commercial fisheries scientist who was in New Orleans to shed light on what he considers an epidemic problem: restaurants and festivals misrepresenting imported shrimp as locally caught. In many cases, diners are paying for what they think is more expensive, high-quality wild Gulf shrimp, but is actually an inferior product produced by an aquaculture industry that has a history of labor abuse. A 2020 study by Louisiana State University found two thirds of imported shrimp samples purchased in Baton Rouge contained banned veterinary drugs. These farm-raised imports from Asia and South America have flooded the U.S. market, depressing prices. Fishing communities along the Gulf Coast have been decimated and livelihoods destroyed in part because the domestic shrimp industry is being pushed to the edge of extinction. Mr. Williams founded a company, SEAD Consulting, that developed a genetic test to rapidly identify seafood species. He is using the technology to expose restaurants and festivals misrepresenting their seafood offerings, especially shrimp. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Study shows 77% of ‘local' shrimp actually imported
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Savannah restaurants have been deceptively advertising internationally imported shrimp as locally caught, a new test has found. In late February, the Southern Shrimp Alliance hired seafood industry research center SEAD Consulting to genetically test 44 restaurant dishes in the Savannah area. These tests were an effort to determine whether the advertised local Georgia wild-caught shrimp was so, or if restaurants were serving farm-raised imported shrimp. The company used a Rapid ID Genetic High-Accuracy Test in its efforts. The results showed that of the 44 restaurants, 34 were selling non-local shrimp. Meaning that only 10 were serving authentic domestic wild-catch fare. SEAD Consulting said that this implies that diners in the Hostess City have less than one in four chances of having fresh shrimp out of their coast. The following 10 restaurants were found to serve domestic shrimp: 1. Belford's Seafood and Steaks, 315 West St. Julian Street, Savannah, GA 31401 2. Boar's Head Grill & Tavern, 1 North Lincoln Street, Savannah, GA 31401 3. Coastal 15, 102 W Bay St, Savannah, GA 31401 4. Fiddler's Crab House & Oyster Bar, 131 West River Street, Savannah, GA 31401 5. Love's Seafood & Steak, 6817 Chief O.F. Love Road, Savannah, GA 31419 6. The Olde Pink House, 23 Abercorn Street, Savannah, GA 31401 7. Pier 16, 1601 Inlet Ave, Tybee Island, GA 31328 8. Rhett, 412 Williamson Street, Savannah, GA 31401 9. Sea Wolf, 106 S Campbell Ave, Tybee Island, GA 31328 10. Wood's Seafood, 711 GA-30, Port Wentworth, GA 31407 'Consumers–including millions of Georgia's tourists–want the superior flavor and texture of wild-caught shrimp harvested by a sustainable, well-managed local fishery. Restaurants know that, and use the culture and imagery of local shrimpers when selling a farm-raised shrimp raised halfway around the world on processed feed, pesticides, fungicides, and possibly banned antibiotics,' said John Williams, executive director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. 'I have spent many years distinguishing wild Georgia shrimp from farm-raised imports, working with our tourism boards to promote Georgia's premium seafood and rich culture. Yet, none of that work is worth anything if restaurants mislead consumers through false advertising,' said John Wallace, owner of Anchor Shrimp Co., a leading supplier of wild Georgia shrimp to Savannah and the Georgia coast. 'We thank Georgia Representative Jesse Petrea for sponsoring and Representatives Buddy Deloach, Lehman Franklin, Rick Townsend, and Al Williams for co-sponsoring legislation to mandate restaurant labeling that allows consumers to make an informed decision when ordering shrimp.' The legislation that Wallace is referring to is Georgia House Bill 117, which would require all restaurants in Georgia to disclose, in writing on their menu, if their shrimp is foreign imported. 'Consumers have a strong preference for U.S. wild-caught shrimp, valued for its sustainability, superior flavor, and crisp texture thanks to natural diets in local waters,' Williams said in February. 'It's essential to protect both consumers and local jobs by taking action against deceptive advertising and seafood fraud in restaurants and grocery stores that dupe consumers into choosing imported shrimp under false claims.' State Representative Jesse Petrea (HD-166) is a sponsor of the bill, which passed the Georgia House of Representatives in a 165-7 vote. He spoke with News 3 last month and said that he wants local consumers to know where the food on their plate is coming from. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Study: 33% of shrimp served in Lafayette restaurants imported
LAFAYETTE, La. () — Some diners in Lafayette may be disappointed to learn that the shrimp on their plate is not local, as advertised. According to a recent study by , 33% of sampled restaurants in Lafayette are serving farm-raised imported shrimp instead of local wild-caught. Between Feb. 10-13, SEAD Consulting conducted random genetic testing on shrimp dishes from 24 local restaurants. Of those 24, eight establishments were selling non-gulf shrimp. Of those eight restaurants, four were misrepresenting their shrimp offerings, deceiving consumers who expect genuine Gulf seafood, according to Dave Williams, SEAD Consulting founder and commercial fishery scientist. 'The results in Lafayette restaurants are similar to the recently at 30%, whereas ,' Williams said. 'To find that one in three dishes being served in the heart of Cajun country are imported farm-raised shrimp instead of local, domestic wild-caught shrimp that supports the Cajun shrimp industry was surprising.' Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now SEAD Consulting developed the Rapid ID Genetic High-Accuracy Test in collaboration with Florida State University, which enables species identification and country-of-origin determination within two hours in field settings, WIlliams said. SeaD investigators said in Lafayette, of the eight restaurants serving the farm-raised imports, four of them labeled imports correctly on menus or in signage, in compliance with . The remaining four were found to be serving imported shrimp while advertising local-wild caught. Another festival caught selling imported shrimp as 'Gulf' shrimp The following 16 restaurants sampled were found to be serving authentic local wild-caught shrimp as advertised (in Lafayette unless otherwise noted): Bon Temps Grill, 1211 W. Pinhook Road Chris' Po-Boys, 1930 W. Pinhook Road Don's Seafood, 4309 Johnston St. Dwight's Restaurant, 4800 Johnston St. Fat Pat's, 626 Verot School Road Fezzo's, 6701 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, Broussard Half Shell Oyster House, 109 Old Camp Road, Suite 114 Louisiana Po'Boys, 5445 Johnston St. Mandez's Seafood Bar & Grill, 110 Doucet Road Olde Tyme Grocery, 218 W. St. Mary Blvd. Poor Boy's Riverside Inn, 240 Tubing Road, Broussard Prejean's, 3480 NE Evangeline Thruway, Carencro Royal Seafood Mart, 137 Albertson Parkway, Broussard Spoonbill Watering Hole & Restaurant, 900 Jefferson St. Ton's Drive-In, 101 W. Main St., Broussard Young's Sports Grill, 305 E. Main St., Broussard SEAD Consulting declined to name the restaurants they found serving imported shrimp, but spokesperson Glenda Beasley said they did give the names of those possibly in violation of labeling laws to enforcement officials. The study was funded by the . Schiff: Millions of Americans 'downright ashamed' of Trump NC woman arrested, charged after allegedly locking boyfriend in storage unit for 5 days Study: 33% of shrimp served in Lafayette restaurants imported Cortez Masto, Grassley push for grants for small police departments Trump Labor secretary pick moves step closer to confirmation with help from Democrats Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
