Saving Seafood

Are Gulf sharks really an ‘overwhelming problem’? It’s complicated, experts say

August 12, 2025 — Florida anglers say sharks are snatching their catches at unprecedented rates, calling it an “overwhelming problem” and blaming a boom in Gulf shark numbers.

But scientific research paints a more complicated picture.

Scientists who study sharks acknowledge that depredation — the act of fish being eaten by an underwater predator while on a fisherman’s line — is a growing concern in some areas, especially Florida. They cite several potential drivers of increased shark-human conflict, including climate change-related shifts in shark behavior and rebounding populations of some species.

But they note that changes in human behavior — such as more people fishing and heightened awareness of shark encounters through social media — may also play a role.

Now, researchers are working to learn when and why these encounters happen and how to prevent them.

Matt Ajemian, an associate research professor studying the issue at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, cautions against calling shark depredation a crisis, noting that historical accounts show similar encounters have long occurred.

“I don’t call it a problem,” he said. “I try to call it a challenge.”

Read the full article at the Bradenton Herald

New Study Challenges Long-Held Beliefs About Menhaden and the Gulf Food Web

August 11, 2025 — One of the most important questions in the Gulf is also, surprisingly, one that hasn’t had a detailed answer: what exactly do predator fish eat? Species like red drum, southern flounder, and spotted seatrout are important to both the Gulf ecosystem and the recreational fishing economy, and knowing what they eat is key to managing them successfully.

A new study from the University of Southern Mississippi is helping answer that question with one of the most comprehensive investigations of predator diets to date.

Rethinking the Role of Gulf Menhaden

One of the headline findings concerns another important species: Gulf menhaden. Often viewed as the key food source for many of these predators, the study finds they may not be as central to these predator diets as previously thought.

While menhaden are part of the mix, the study found no predator species examined relied on them as a primary food source. Instead, predator diets were found to be incredibly varied and opportunistic, depending on what prey is available at different times and in different places.

Read the full article at NOLA.com

FLORIDA: Florida hotels sourcing more local seafood in response to guest demands

August 8, 2025 — Hotels in the U.S. state of Florida are sourcing more seafood – particularly local species – for their restaurants and group events.

“When guests come to Florida, they expect to enjoy an abundance of fresh, local seafood. With the state surrounded by water, we’re fortunate to have access to an incredible variety of regional seafood, which we source through local purveyors,” Conrad Orlando Culinary Director Stephen Ullrich told SeafoodSource. “Guests are increasingly seeking out lighter, more sustainable options, and seafood fits that need perfectly.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Destin charter captain says shark resurgence in the Gulf impacting livelihood of fishermen

August 7, 2025 — Sharks seem to be making their way closer and closer to shore nowadays. They’re stripping some fishermen of their livelihoods.

Sharks are snapping up fish before they can even be reeled in. Shark depredation is happening all along the Gulf. Some say this could have a negative impact on Florida’s whole tourism industry, which relies heavily on fishing.

John Pouncey is a Destin charter boat captain. He takes clients out to catch all types of sea life, but now more than ever, he says sharks are ruining the fun.

“And nothing can be any more heartbreaking than having these people come out here with the determination to catch these fish, you get them all the way up to the boat, and then all of a sudden, you know, a 300-pound bull shark just crushes it and rips it in half,” Pouncey said.

Read the full article at WEAR

New turtle excluder device showing promising signs of protecting both juvenile turtles and maintaining shrimp catch

August 7, 2025 — A new turtle excluder device (TED) design being tested in the Gulf of Mexico, currently referred to as the Gulf of America by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, aims to save juvenile turtles from bycatch without diminishing shrimp catch. 

TEDs have long been used by shrimp trawlers to reduce sea turtle bycatch. The current industry standard, while successful at reducing bycatch of adult sea turtles, often fails to exclude juvenile turtles, which can fit between their 4 inch-spaced bars.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Shrimpers need honesty in their back yard to survive

August 7, 2025 — In a city of beaches and shrimp boats, with pelicans and seagulls peppering the sky, a new investigation by SeaD Consulting has revealed widespread misrepresentation of shrimp sourcing at sampled Corpus Christi restaurants. Genetic testing, conducted with SeaD Consulting’s Rapid ID Genetic Hi-accuracy Test (RIGHTTest™), of shrimp dishes served in 44 Corpus Christi-area restaurants showed that only 19 restaurants were confirmed to be serving genuine wild-caught domestic/Gulf shrimp, while 25 were not serving wild-caught domestic/Gulf shrimp despite menu claims, staff assurances, or marketing.

“With shrimp boats docked alongside coastal restaurants surrounding Corpus Christi, there is no excuse for more than half of sampled restaurants to be duping their diners,” said Erin Williams, Founder and COO of SeaD Consulting. “Consumers should be able to trust that when they order Gulf shrimp, that’s exactly what’s on their plate.”

Restaurants Verified for Serving Gulf Shrimp

The following 19 restaurants were confirmed to be serving authentic Gulf shrimp:

  • U & I Seafood & Steaks – 309 S Water St, Corpus Christi, TX 78401
  • Executive Surf Club – 306 N Chaparral St, Corpus Christi, TX 78401
  • Water Street Oyster Bar – 309 N Water St, Corpus Christi, TX 78401
  • Paradise Key Dockside Bar & Grill – 165 Cove Harbor N, Rockport, TX 78382
  • Los Comales – 431 Hwy 35 S Rockport, TX 78382
  • Pier 77 – 3307 Hwy 35 N Fulton, TX 78358
  • Shrimp-It-Up – 120 S 8th St, Aransas Pass, TX 78336
  • Texas A1 – 14241 Northwest Blvd Ste 105, Corpus Christi, TX 78410
  • Gallery 41 – 100 N Shoreline Blvd, Corpus Christi, TX 78401
  • Black Diamond Oyster Bar – 418 NAS Dr, Corpus Christi, TX 78418
  • Snoopy’s Pier & Restaurant – 13313 S Padre Island Dr, Corpus Christi, TX 78418
  • Doc’s Seafood & Steaks – 13309 S Padre Island Dr, Corpus Christi, TX 78418
  • Angry Marlin – 15605 S Padre Island Dr, Corpus Christi, TX 78418
  • Trout Street Bar + Grill – 104 W Cotter Ave, Port Aransas, TX 78373
  • Old Fulton Seafood Café & Steakhouse – 2828 Hwy 35 N, Rockport, TX 78382
  • Charlotte Plummer’s Seafare Restaurant – 202 N Fulton Beach Rd, Rockport, TX 78382
  • Mickey’s Bar & Grill – 430 Ransom Rd, Aransas Pass, TX 78336
  • Catfish Charlie’s – 5830 McArdle Rd #12, Corpus Christi, TX 78412
  • Saltwater Grill – 2401 Cimarron Blvd, Corpus Christi, TX 78414

Misrepresentation Findings

Of the 25 restaurants not serving Gulf shrimp:

  • 21 explicitly described their shrimp as local or domestic either verbally or on the menu.
  • 4 implied Gulf or wild-caught sourcing through branding or menu descriptions.

SeaD Consulting’s testing revealed blatant examples of explicit inauthenticity, where menus and staff descriptions confidently claimed Gulf shrimp that turned out to be imported or farm-raised shrimp.

Shrimp boat owner in Palacios, Texas and Southern Shrimp Alliance Board Member Ken Garcia said, “We don’t want these restaurants to stop saying they are selling Gulf shrimp, we want them to actually start serving it.”

Impact and Next Steps

Imported shrimp—often produced under unregulated environmental and labor conditions—undercuts the local shrimp industry, erodes consumer trust, and misleads customers who pay premium prices expecting fresh, local seafood.

In May 2025, Texas passed legislation requiring all food service suppliers, wholesalers, distributors, and wholesale distributors selling shrimp in Texas to include a label to the restaurant with “clear and conspicuous notice stating whether the shrimp is imported.” Further, the law prohibits restaurants from labeling or representing imported shrimp as “Texas shrimp,” “Gulf shrimp,” “American shrimp,” or “Domestic shrimp.” However, consumers must still ask about the country of origin of the shrimp if it is not indicated as local wild-caught. If there is any violation of these requirements, the legislation authorizes the Texas Health Department, a public health district, a county, or a municipality to impose an administrative penalty. The law takes effect on September 1, 2025.

Follow-up genetic testing is also planned to track progress and encourage honesty in seafood sourcing.

About the Southern Shrimp Alliance

The Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA) represents shrimp fishermen, processors, and businesses in the eight warmwater shrimp-producing states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. SSA funds multi-state investigations into seafood mislabeling to protect the domestic shrimp industry and consumers.

About SeaD Consulting

SeaD Consulting collaborates with seafood producers, researchers, governments, and environmental advocates to promote sustainability and truth in seafood sourcing. SeaD holds the patent for the RIGHTTest™ (Rapid ID Genetic High-Accuracy Test) and leads landmark studies across the Gulf and beyond.

For more on the investigation, photos, B-roll, SME interviews, and access to the full report, visit Media Kit or contact Glenda Beasley at 512.750.5199.

Disclaimer: SeaD’s testing and reporting is intended to be used as an investigatory tool to assist the restaurant industry’s fight against seafood mislabeling and is not intended for use in any legal proceedings, nor may SeaD’s data, testing, or reporting be used in any legal proceeding without the express written authorization of SeaD.

 

FLORIDA: Sharks have become an ‘overwhelming problem’ in the Gulf, Florida anglers say

August 5, 2025 — Shark depredation is a major issue facing Gulf coast anglers fishing near and offshore.

It’s been making waves on social media with anglers complaining about the sheer amount of shark run-ins they have been seeing in recent years, and for good reason. Depredation is the act of a hooked fish being partially or completely removed by a shark, something almost all anglers deal with on a daily basis while targeting their favorite offshore species.

“Man, I don’t know how you offshore charter boat captains deal with this shark problem every day,” a Bradenton-based inshore charter captain posted on social media. “I went offshore today and fished six spots between 140 and 150 feet and got sharked on five of them. Probably lost 20+ fish to them today.”

This report, and many more like it, are constant across fishing communities. Countless other anglers are posting similar stories. Even when talking with those fishing offshore who don’t post, they experience similar situations when fishing from nearshore waters for hogfish all the way to deep waters for grouper and red snapper.

Captain Zac Sturm, host of Tampa Bay Fishing Radio, posted some advice for anglers seeking help from lawmakers in June.

Read the full article at Miami Herald

Louisiana lawmakers introduce bill to expand disaster relief for crawfishermen

August 1, 2025 — Louisiana lawmakers have introduced new bipartisan legislation aimed at providing federal disaster relief to crawfish fisheries,

Currently, wild-caught crawfish are not eligible for disaster relief through the U.S. Department of Agriculture or under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, which governs most federal fishery management.

The Fisheries Modernization Act (H.R. 4800), introduced by Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., and Cleo Fields, D-La., would modify the legislation to specifically include red swamp crawfish and white river crawfish — two species central to Louisiana’s wild-caught industry. If passed, the measure would allow the Commerce Secretary to declare a fishery disaster for these species in the event of environmental catastrophes, infrastructure failures, or other crises that lead to significant drops in population or revenue.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

LOUISIANA: Louisiana representatives want to make crawfish eligible for federal disaster relief funds

July 31, 2025 — U.S. federal lawmakers from the state of Louisiana have introduced a bill that would make wild-caught crawfish eligible for the Department of Commerce’s fishery disaster relief program.

“Louisiana’s crawfish harvesters are a vital part of our state’s economy and heritage. This legislation not only recognizes that legacy, but it also ensures that when future disasters hit, they won’t be left behind. Including wild-caught crawfish under the Magnuson-Stevens Act is a simple yet practical way to give this industry the federal support it deserves,” U.S. Representative Cleo Fields (D-Louisiana) said in a statement.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource