Saving Seafood

News for the Gulf of Mexico Region

ALABAMA: Shrimp Festival Makes History: Imported Shrimp Vendors Stopped on the Spot

October 14, 2025 — The following was released by OSAA and SeaD Consulting:

Hi there,

For the first time in its 52-year history, the National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores enforced shrimp authenticity in real time — with DNA testing by SeaD Consulting funded by the Organized Seafood Association of Alabama (OSAA).
Using SeaD’s RIGHTTest™ technology, shrimp served at the festival was verified on-site in under two hours, allowing Chief Shrimp Investigator (CSI) Chandra Wright and her team to identify vendors selling imported shrimp. Those vendors were immediately fined and prohibited from selling shrimp until they could show proof and retesting was conducted on their dishes.
“This was a defining moment for Alabama’s seafood industry,” said Ernie Anderson, President of OSAA. “If you’re promoting wild-caught Gulf shrimp, that’s exactly what you should be serving. With this technology, we can finally ensure that promise is kept.”
Wright added, “The RIGHTTest changed everything. For the first time, we could protect consumers and stand up for our shrimpers — right there, in real time.”
The partnership between OSAA, SeaD Consulting, and the National Shrimp Festival has set a new national benchmark for authenticity and accountability — ensuring that local celebrations truly support local industries.

ALABAMA: A year after embarrassing results, DNA testing returns to Alabama shrimp festival

October 10, 2025 — The National Shrimp Festival, taking place in Gulf Shores, Alabama, U.S.A., will now require all shrimp being sold at the four-day event to be tested to ensure they are local, wild-caught shellfish after random sampling at last year’s event found foreign shrimp being sold by multiple vendors.

“It’s important for everyone – distributors, processors, restaurants, and festivals – to ensure they are serving the wild-caught local shrimp they claim to offer,” Henry Barnes, the mayor of Bayou La Batre, Alabama, said in a release. “Our community depends on it. When a festival like this leads with authenticity, it sets a standard for everyone else to follow.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Scientists study Atlantic bluefin tuna spawning off Northeast U.S.

October 10, 2025 — Scientists are getting closer to understanding how Atlantic bluefin tuna spawn between the Gulf Stream and the continental shelf off New England, possibly a third important breeding area in addition to the Gulf of Mexico and Mediterranean Sea.

The Slope Sea off the Northeast U.S. coast has been studied over the past decade in the belief it contributes to bluefin tuna stock mixing between the two long-known east and west breeding populations.

During summer 2025 scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center conducted two exploratory surveys to examine how bluefin tuna use this area for reproduction. A cooperative survey with commercial longline fishermen sought adult spawning tuna, and a second survey soon after sampled Northeast waters for bluefin tuna larvae.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

LOUISIANA: Science, Jobs, and Balance: Rethinking Louisiana’s Menhaden Buffer Zone

October 6, 2025 — Louisiana’s working coast has long depended on the Gulf menhaden fishery – a sustainable industry that supports more than 2,000 jobs, contributes $419 million annually, generates $25 million in state and local tax revenue, and purchases $62 million in goods and services from 32 parishes. Yet, despite this enormous positive impact, recent regulatory changes threaten to undermine this lifeline industry and the communities that depend on it.

At issue is the decision to extend the state’s menhaden buffer zone in recent years. Historically, the fishery operated along the Inside/Outside Line and Double Rig Line – longstanding boundaries for commercial fishing that had already limited where menhaden vessels could operate. In 2021, the buffer zone was extended by one-quarter mile, and again in 2024 to a half-mile from the original line.

While these changes may sound incremental, the impact has been anything but small. The half-mile restriction has excluded thousands of acres of historically productive fishing grounds. In just 3 years, the industry experienced a 25% reduction in fish caught. For an industry already operating on tight margins, this loss is unsustainable, harming not only the companies that fish for menhaden but also thousands of Louisiana families whose livelihoods depend on this fishery.

An Industry That Fuels Local Economies

Louisiana’s menhaden industry is powered by two companies – Westbank Fishing out of Empire, LA (Plaquemines Parish) and Ocean Harvesters out of Abbeville, LA (Vermilion Parish). Contrary to the misinformation that has been spread, both these companies are U.S.-based, U.S.-owned and are totally controlled by U.S. citizens. Together with the two processing companies (Daybrook Fisheries and Omega Protein), they employ more than 800 people directly on vessels and in processing plants, while another 1,200 jobs ripple across rural communities through suppliers, service companies, and transportation providers. These are stable, year-round jobs that anchor small-town economies in parishes where economic opportunities are limited.

Read the full article at The Advocate

MISSISSIPPI: Mississippi Sound Coalition asks US Congress to take up legislation addressing challenges to the river basin

October 3, 2025 — The Mississippi Sound Coalition has drafted a 33-page piece of legislation to overhaul management of the Mississippi River basin, and it’s now asking the state’s representation in Congress to take up the bill.

The group said the legislation is necessary in order to address some of the larger challenges facing the river basin, which stretches across 31 states. Issues like the annual Gulf of Mexico “dead zone” and floodwater control affect multiple states, requiring a more holistic approach, they claim.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Feds seek to reauthorize marine mammal harassment rule

September 30, 2025 — A bureau at NOAA is pushing the agency to reimplement an existing rule for how seismic testing affects marine mammals in the Gulf of Mexico ahead of the rule’s expiration next spring.

If extended, the rule would reauthorize harassment of marine mammals by oil and gas industry companies that conduct seismic tests in the Gulf, which President Donald Trump renamed the Gulf of America earlier this year.

In an August letter, Director Jennifer Wallace of NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Policy wrote to the head of the Office of Protected Resources asking that the current rule be reimplemented going forward. That rule includes monitoring requirements, efforts by companies to detect marine mammals and maximum harassment levels.

Read the full article at E&E News

NOAA identifies 21,000 acres suitable for commercial aquaculture development

September 25, 2025 — NOAA Fisheries has identified 21,000 acres of ocean off the coast of California and in the Gulf of Mexico, now called the Gulf of America by the Trump Administration, that it claims would be suitable for offshore aquaculture development.

The announcement follows up on an executive order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump during his first term, which charged NOAA Fisheries with establishing 10 Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOA) by 2025. According to the order, AOAs would be sites predetermined by the government to be suitable for commercial aquaculture.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA proposes allowing offshore fish farms in Gulf, Pacific

September 23, 2025 — The Trump administration plans to offer up to 21,000 acres of federal waters off Southern California and Texas for large-scale commercial aquaculture, according to a NOAA proposal for 13 “aquaculture opportunity areas” in the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.

The initiative — which could provide a boon to U.S. seafood production while carrying risks for traditional fishing economies and ocean environments — shifts into high gear a Trump administration policy priority embodied in two executive orders, one signed by President Donald Trump during his first term and another this spring.

The Biden administration continued the work of studying possible aquaculture projects, including releasing two draft environmental impact statements. The NOAA documents released Friday are the final environmental reviews.

Read the full article at E&E News

LOUISIANA: Seafood Restaurant Shrimp Testing Exposes Mislabeling: Shrimpers and Diners Both Cheated

September 23, 2025 — The following was released by SeaD Consulting:

In Northeast Louisiana, where shrimp is a staple on local menus, diners are being misled about what’s on their plates.Genetic testing of shrimp dishes from 24 Monroe and Ruston area restaurants found that 0% complied with Louisiana’s seafood labeling laws to identify imported shrimp, despite menus and staff frequently claiming “Gulf” or domestic wild-caught origins.

SEAD Consulting, using its field-based RIGHTTest™ genetic technology, conducted testing from September 11–14, 2025.

Key Findings

  • 11 of 24 dishes (46%) contained authentic domestic wild-caught shrimp

  • 13 of 24 dishes (54%) contained imported, farm-raised shrimp

    • 7 of 13 menus explicitly said “Gulf” or domestic shrimp were being served

    • 5 of 13 had staff explicitly assure customers the dish used Gulf or domestic shrimp

    • 1 of 13 admitted to serving imported shrimp—but had no signage complying with Louisiana’s labeling laws

    • 0 of 13 had required signage indicating imported product

That equates to a 0% compliance rate with Louisiana’s imported seafood labeling laws.

“This isn’t about forcing restaurants to change their menus—it’s about them standing by their word,” said Lance Nacio, Louisiana shrimper and Louisiana Shrimp Task Force board member. “Diners deserve to get what they pay for, and shrimpers deserve their fair market share. Right now, both are being cheated.”

Restaurants Where Authentic Domestic Wild-Caught Shrimp Was Found

  1. Belle’s Ole South Diner — 4624 Cypress St, West Monroe, LA 71291

  2. Captain Avery Seafood & Specialty Meats — 2607 Ferrand St, Monroe, LA 71201

  3. Catfish Charlies — 2329 Louisville Ave, Monroe, LA 71201

  4. Fontenot’s Cajun Way — 436 Desiard St, Monroe, LA 71201

  5. Golden Pier Seafood — 1114 N 7th St, West Monroe, LA 71291

  6. Kravin’s — 705 Winnsboro Rd, Monroe, LA 71202

  7. Mohawk Tavern — 704 Louisville Ave, Monroe, LA 71201

  8. Ponchatoulas — 109 E Park Ave, Ruston, LA 71270

  9. Scott’s Catfish and Seafood — 2812 Cypress St, West Monroe, LA 71291

  10. Trio’s Ruston — 101 Pelican Blvd, Ruston, LA 71270

  11. Warehouse No. 1 — 1 Olive St, Monroe, LA 71201

“We work hard to serve the finest, all-natural ingredients to our customers,” said Trio’s Ruston Restaurant Owner Alex Van Benthuysen. “That includes locally harvested, wild-caught Gulf shrimp. You can definitively taste the difference between wild-caught and imported shrimp. We also want to support our community, just as they support us. That said, we’re only as good as our suppliers are, so there is a lot of trust in the equation.”

While misrepresentation can happen anywhere along the supply chain, genetic testing of what ends up in the dish is essential to enforcing Louisiana’s labeling laws and restoring trust.

What Locals Can Do

  • Ask your server directly where the shrimp comes from at restaurants

  • Ask to see the box or packaging the shrimp came in if in doubt

  • Look for “wild-caught Gulf shrimp” on menus

  • Report suspected seafood fraud to local health authorities

About the Louisiana Shrimp Task Force

The Louisiana Shrimp Task Force advises the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and related agencies on protecting and promoting the state’s wild shrimp industry. The group works to strengthen transparency, local economies, and seafood quality for consumers.

About SEAD Consulting

SEAD (Seafood Development) Consulting blends science and policy to defend seafood authenticity. Its RIGHTTest™ program is revolutionizing how consumers, restaurants, and regulators verify species in real time to combat fraud and protect coastal livelihoods.

Visit www.seadconsulting.com to learn more or report suspected mislabeling.

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. It 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.

LOUISIANA: Menhaden Industry Steps Up for Local Communities in Wake of Hurricanes

September 22, 2025 — With the 20th anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita upon us, Louisianians are thinking back to that devastation and remembering all those who helped us get through those difficult times. When hurricanes batter the Gulf Coast, the menhaden industry—often seen only for its fishing fleet and processing plants—has taken on a different role: a committed neighbor ready to step up in times of crisis.

In September 2021, after Hurricane Ida tore through southeastern Louisiana, Omega Protein quickly mobilized relief for hard-hit Terrebonne Parish. The company delivered 550 gallons of gasoline, 3 pallets of water (252 cases), and a pallet of hand sanitizer from its plant in Abbeville to St. Joseph Church in Chauvin. Through social media, the company directed its followers to local charities to help get the community back on its feet. Company employees also partnered with relief organization Bayou Boys Community Helpers to distribute over 1,000 meals to residents who had been impacted by the hurricane in neighboring Lafourche Parish.

A year earlier, when Hurricane Laura devastated Cameron Parish with 150-mph winds, the destruction was staggering. In the days immediately after the storm, Omega Protein stepped in, despite having closed its Cameron facility in 2013.

Read the full article at NOLA.COM