March 3, 2025 — A recent genetic investigation conducted by SeaD (Seafood Development) Consulting into shrimp served at restaurants in Lafayette, Louisiana, revealed that 33 percent of shrimp served in local restaurants is not locally-sourced.
Though the sample was small (24 restaurants), the findings are in keeping with the results of genetic testing of shrimp served in other Gulf states.
February 5, 2025 — The Super Bowl brings an influx of visitors Louisiana, and many will be indulging in the state’s world-famous local seafood, from po’ boys to gumbo. However, a recent study conducted by SEAD Consulting has uncovered that some restaurants have “dropped the ball” when claiming to serve authentic Gulf shrimp and being honest with their customers.
Of the 24 randomly selected seafood restaurants tested in New Orleans that explicitly advertised their shrimp as “Gulf” or “authentic”, three were found to be mislabeling their product and serving farm-raised imports instead. While this 13% fraud rate is the lowest recorded to date in SEAD Consulting’s multi-state study, the nature of the deception in New Orleans is particularly striking, and highlights the need for increased enforcement.
January 28, 2025 — Tampa and St. Petersburg are facing a startling revelation with only two out of 44 sampled restaurants serve authentic, wild-caught Gulf shrimp.
A recent investigation, led by SeaD Consulting, exposes a 96% fraud rate, with most establishments relying on imported, farm-raised shrimp from countries like India, Vietnam and Ecuador.
The investigation identified just two restaurants as serving genuine Gulf shrimp, putting into question the region’s seafood reputation.
“When diners think of Tampa and St. Pete, they think of seafood fresh from the Gulf,” said David Williams, a commercial fishery scientist and founder of SeaD Consulting, in a news release. “To discover that the majority of restaurants are serving shrimp sourced from overseas is a wake-up call for the area’s food scene.”
January 7, 2025 — Patriotic Prawns, a new program out of Mississippi, is hoping to educate the public about where the shrimp they’re consuming at restaurants comes from – but said they are finding that many of the state’s restaurant owners are unenthusiastic about committing to serve 100 percent U.S.-sourced shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico.
After a December 2024 study showed that many Mississippi restaurants were serving imported shrimp to unsuspecting customers, the owner of a local shrimp processing and delivery company decided to take action. Bethany Fayard, Vice President of Ocean Springs Seafood, started the Patriotic Prawns program, which entitles participants who agree to random freezer inspections and reviews of shrimp processing records to a sticker that advertises that their business sells 100 percent U.S. sourced shrimp.
February 8, 2024 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued contracts cumulatively worth USD 32.5 million (EUR 30 million) to several U.S. Gulf of Mexico wild shrimp suppliers.
After asking for bids in mid-January 2024, the USDA awarded the majority of the contracts for 385,000 cases of peeled and deveined shrimp to New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A.-based Paul Piazza & Son for USD 15.1 million (EUR 14 million).
January 18, 2024 — I’ve been a shrimper for over 45 years. It’s more than just a job; it’s a legacy that’s been passed down through generations in my family. Since I was 15, I’ve been working in the waters of Plaquemines Parish, my workplace, my passion, and my source of livelihood. Today, as I continue to bring the finest Gulf shrimp to your tables, I find myself fighting not only for my job but for the very soul of Louisiana’s shrimping heritage.
The recent rule by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) mandating the use of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) on skimmer trawl vessels longer than 40 feet is a real threat to our community. This rule, though it may seem well-intentioned, is an example of overreach and disregard for our industry’s reality. That’s why, under my leadership, the Louisiana Shrimp Association is taking a stand by suing against this unfair regulation on the same day the Supreme Court is hearing arguments on the power of faraway bureaucrats in the Loper Bright case.
Our challenge isn’t about denying environmental stewardship; we shrimpers understand the importance of preserving marine life more than anyone else. Our problem lies in the NMFS’s lack of consideration for the real-world reasons and impact of this rule. Studies show that there is minimal interaction between sea turtles and shrimpers in the waters where we mostly operate, and our waters aren’t primary nesting sites for these creatures. However, the NMFS chose to ignore this evidence and push through a rule that could devastate our industry.
August 28, 2023 — The city of Bayou La Batre in the U.S. state of Alabama has declared a disaster over shrimp imports, and it’s asking the state government and the federal government to do the same.
The Bayou La Batre city council unanimously adopted a resolution on 17 August declaring shrimp dumping to be a disaster.
August 10, 2023 — The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission announced the opening dates for the fall inshore shrimp season Aug. 7.
Meanwhile, Louisiana lawmakers have called on Congress to protect the domestic seafood industry as shrimp harvesters face low prices due to large amounts of imported shrimp.
The Louisiana Shrimp Association joined in a letter that said the influx of imported shrimp has proven especially problematic for domestic harvesters. Nineteen other allied organizations and companies, representing more than 4,000 seafood businesses of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic region also signed onto the letter.
August 3, 2023 — NOAA recently released preliminary data on shrimp landings from the Gulf of Mexico and the South Atlantic for April 2023, with the data showing the price of shrimp continues to sit near historic lows.
Across the Gulf of Mexico – which is listed by landings from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Western Florida, and compiled monthly by the Southern Shrimp Alliance from NOAA data – most states saw increases shrimp catches sitting above historical averages. Overall landings across the state, however, were down thanks to a lack of data from Louisiana, which historically has averaged over 884,000 pounds, or roughly 401 metric tons (MT), of shrimp landed for the month.
July 26, 2023 — The Louisiana shrimp industry is in crisis; putting our 15,000 jobs and $1.3 billion industry at risk.
During the legislative session, hundreds of shrimpers, dock owners and processors marched on the State Capitol to call out unwanted competition from imported shrimp.
Louisiana plays a significant role in the U.S. shrimp market, accounting for 25% of the nation’s demand. But imports from Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Ecuador are flooding U.S. markets, resulting in distressed prices for our product.
Absent an outright ban or a cap and control mechanism on imported shrimp, it becomes increasingly challenging to sustain our livelihoods. Additionally, imports raise concerns about cheap foreign labor practices and potential health risks.
Expanding testing and enforcing country-of-origin labeling are common sense solutions to ensure consumer safety and awareness. But our pleas for assistance to our federal and state lawmakers continue to go unanswered.
To add insult to injury, we face another threat by Louisiana’s recreational and for-hire charter fishermen who have suggested there need to be arbitrary and scientifically unsubstantiated limits on commercial fishing, including shrimping and Gulf menhaden fishing, to reduce incidental bycatch of speckled trout and redfish.
While conservation efforts of these stressed species are important, singling out the commercial fishing sector without addressing the root causes of reckless overfishing by the tens of thousands of unmonitored anglers off Louisiana’s coast is misguided. Louisiana’s commercial fisheries follow sound fisheries management practices.
We are heavily regulated, guided by science and sustainability. We will not allow others to selectively shift blame to us when they need to do more to preserve and protect their catch.
Failure to address these challenges will have far-reaching consequences, potentially resulting in the loss of not just our industry but a cultural heritage deeply intertwined with our coastal communities.
ACY COOPER
president, Louisiana Shrimp Association