Saving Seafood

MISSISSIPPI: ReTesting in Biloxi Shows Significant Improvement for Shrimp Authenticity on the Menu, But More Work is Needed

April 23, 2026 — The following was released by SeaD Consulting:

A new round of genetic testing conducted in April 2026 using the RIGHTTest™ reveals meaningful progress in the fight against restaurant menu mislabeling along the Mississippi Gulf Coast—but also confirms that deceptive practices continue to undermine consumer trust and harm American shrimpers.

This follow-up investigation builds on SeaD Consulting’s landmark December 2024 report, which exposed widespread shrimp mislabeling in Biloxi and surrounding coastal communities. At that time, 82% of restaurants tested were potentially misleading customers, often substituting imported shrimp while marketing dishes as local Gulf shrimp. Last year, 44 randomly selected seafood restaurants were sampled and tested. This year, half of the previously tested restaurants (22) were randomly selected to get a snapshot of mislabeling status since the initial study.

Significant Improvement Since 2024

The latest findings show that increased awareness, public pressure, and assistance from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR), along with SeaD’s continued testing, are driving change:

  • 64% of restaurants (14 of 22) are now serving American Wild-Caught (AWC) shrimp (up from 18% in 2024)

  • 9 of 14 were consistently serving authentic shrimp across both testing periods

  • 5 of 14 corrected previous mislabeling practices and are now serving AWC shrimp

“This data shows that transparency efforts are making an impact,” said Erin Williams, COO and Founder of SeaD Consulting. “More restaurants are doing the right thing—but there is still work to be done.”

Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Joe Spraggins said:

“We are pleased to see the marked improvement in the number of restaurants in the area that are providing correct and honest labeling. We have been working with Mississippi legislators to introduce regulations and new legislation (HB 1466) was signed by Governor Reeves to give restaurants and businesses multiple ways to comply. We will implement the new legislation starting July 1, 2026.”

Inauthenticity Still Exists in About 1 in 4 Restaurants

Despite progress, seafood mislabeling remains a serious issue:

  • 36% of restaurants (8 of 22) were found to be serving imported/farm-raised shrimp

Of those:

  • 63% (5 of 8) misled customers by indicating the shrimp were local or wild-caught, either by menu labeling or staff assurances

  • 37% (3 of 8) were transparent about serving imported/farm-raised products

Notably:

  • Three restaurants misrepresented shrimp in both testing periods

  • Some establishments showed inconsistent practices between the two rounds. Of the 8 restaurants serving imported/farm-raised shrimp, 3 accurately disclosed it at some point—though only 1 did so consistently across both testing periods—while 5 misrepresented their shrimp as American wild-caught. Some restaurants that initially disclosed correctly failed to do so upon retesting, highlighting inconsistency in labeling practices.

  • In the testing area, Royal Red shrimp were also found to be falsely marketed, substituting imported Argentine shrimp while assuring customers it was local

High-Value Shrimp Still Vulnerable to Mislabeling Deception

While overall inauthenticity rates have declined, premium products remain at risk. The 2024 investigation found that 92% of Royal Red shrimp dishes were mislabeled, and the 2026 follow-up confirms that substitution of imported alternatives is still occurring in this high-value category.

SeaD Consulting utilized the RIGHTTest™ to determine whether samples obtained were Royal Reds or Argentine Red Shrimp. In this market, research revealed that 2/3 of the restaurant dishes described as Royal Red shrimp were incorrectly labeled.

Economic and Industry Impact

Seafood mislabeling continues to threaten the livelihoods of Gulf Coast shrimpers while misleading consumers who are often paying premium prices for what they believe is local catch.

“Consumer sales that legitimately belong to U.S. shrimpers and their communities are ending up overseas. That’s not right. If a restaurant says it is Gulf shrimp, it should never be farm-raised shrimp from halfway around the world,” said Leann Bosarge, Southern Shrimp Alliance Board Member and Head of New Business Development at Bosarge Boats in Pascagoula, MS.

“U.S. wild-caught shrimp are higher quality, better regulated, and simply taste better due to their natural diet and movement, so we hope labeling laws will be strongly enforced.”

Restaurants Leading the Way

Nine restaurants were confirmed to be serving authentic American wild-caught shrimp in both testing periods:

  1. Anthony’s Under the Oaks – 1217 Washington Ave, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

  2. Bayview Café and Bar at IP – 850 Bayview Ave, Biloxi, MS 39530

  3. Catch 110 – 110 Lameuse St, Biloxi, MS 39530

  4. Da Best Wings – 157 Hardy Court Shopping Ctr Rd, Gulfport, MS 39507

  5. Parrain’s Cajun Cooking / Parrain’s Jambalaya Kitchen – 179 Reynoir St, Biloxi, MS 39530

  6. Patio 44 – 124 Main St, Biloxi, MS 39530

  7. Phoenicia Gourmet Restaurant – 1108 Bienville Blvd, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

  8. Port City Café – 2561 Pass Rd Unit A, Biloxi, MS 39531

  9. Rouses #88 – 2384 Pass Rd, Biloxi, MS 39531

Additionally, these five restaurants were found to be serving authentic American wild-caught shrimp in the retest:

  1. Bacchus on the Bayou – 705 Bienville Blvd, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

  2. Buzzy’s Breakfast Downtown – 1019 Desoto St, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

  3. Quality Poultry and Seafood – 895 Division St, Biloxi, MS 39533

  4. Shrimp Basket – 9265 US 49, Gulfport, MS 39503

  5. Under the Oak Café – 9380 Central Ave, D’Iberville, MS 39540

Shrimp Basket made a commitment to feature tail-on shrimp caught in Gulf waters in May 2025 after learning about SeaD Consulting’s reports, coupled with consumer demand for authentic wild-caught product.

“We want to deliver seafood that reflects the flavor and heritage of the Gulf Coast, which is what our customers expect from us. If we say it’s Gulf shrimp, you can bet we’re serving it,” said Brand President of Shrimp Basket Jeff Brooks.

Customers at Shrimp Basket have a choice of eating imported/farm-raised shrimp or the more premium-priced wild-caught option if preferred.

“People deserve to know what they’re eating and should receive what they’re paying for,” says Brooks. “We’re committed to truth in menu labeling.”

What Consumers Can Do

  • Ask questions about where shrimp is sourced

  • Request proof when seafood is marketed as local

  • Support restaurants that demonstrate transparency

  • Advocate for enforcement of seafood labeling laws

The Path Forward

While the improvement from 18% honest restaurants in 2024 to 64% serving authentic shrimp in 2026 marks significant progress, the persistence of deception underscores the need for stronger enforcement and continued oversight.

“Consumers deserve honesty, and Gulf Coast shrimpers deserve a fair marketplace,” said Williams. “We’ve made progress—but until mislabeling on menus is eliminated, the work isn’t done.”

About Southern Shrimp Alliance

The Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA) is an organization of shrimp fishermen, shrimp processors, and other members of the domestic industry in the eight warmwater shrimp-producing states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas.

SSA has funded SeaD Consulting’s genetic testing at restaurants throughout their region. The list of restaurants found to be serving American wild-caught shrimp in the samples taken by market can be seen here.

About SeaD Consulting

SeaD (Seafood Development) Consulting works with diverse stakeholders—seafood producers, academia, governmental agencies, and environmental organizations—to foster innovation and sustainability throughout the sector, bridging commercial fishery science with testing and processing technologies to combat seafood mislabeling and substitution. They currently hold the patent, in partnership with Florida State University, for the portable rapid ID high-accuracy genetic test RIGHTTest™, being used in a multi-state study to determine shrimp species being served at seafood restaurants. For more information about the investigation and how you can support ethical seafood sourcing, please visit www.seadconsulting.com

USDA Launches Office of Seafood A Win for America’s Fishermen

April 16, 2026 —  The following was released by the Southern Shrimp Alliance:

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the launch of the USDA Office of Seafood, a priority objective that the Southern Shrimp Alliance and dozens of organizations representing U.S. fisheries have collaborated to pursue for multiple years.

The Chair of the North Carolina Fisheries Association and SSA Board member Brent Fulcher joined Kyle and Tricia Kimball of the Port Arthur Area Shrimpers Association at a roundtable meeting this afternoon in Washington D.C. with Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Representative Nick Begich (R-AK), Representative Kat Commack (R-FL), and approximately ten fisheries leaders from across the country ahead of the announcement.

“This is a landmark day for U.S. shrimpers. Like our nation’s farmers, American commercial fishermen are food producers,” said Blake Price, director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “Nevertheless, while the USDA offers loans, grants, and marketing programs to food producers, this support is generally not available to fishermen. An Office of Seafood within the USDA is an essential first step in bringing shrimpers into the fold.”

NOAA Fisheries: Gulf shrimp fleet cannot sustainably compete with imports

March 12, 2026 — A NOAA Fisheries snapshot report concluded that the Gulf of Mexico shrimp fleet “cannot sustainably compete” with imported shrimp, though the authors suggest domestic harvesters can find success by presenting Gulf shrimp as a differentiated or premium product.

“This report puts numbers to the economic challenges facing the U.S. shrimp industry. Achieving a truly resilient Gulf shrimp industry hinges on its ability to sustain profitability,” NOAA National Seafood Advisor Sarah Shoffler said in a release. “The path forward will likely involve a strategic combination of technological investment, market differentiation, and robust public-private partnerships. We are committed to exploring solutions that could support this industry into the future.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Study suggests wind power development would have little impact on Gulf shrimping

December 5, 2025 — A study from the University of Miami found that the installation of wind power infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico, currently referred to as the Gulf of America by the U.S. government, is unlikely to impact commercial shrimping operations.

The development of offshore wind projects in the United States has been contentious for much of the commercial fishing industry, with fishers claiming turbines in the ocean block them from accessing valued fishing grounds and disrupt the ecosystem. Wind turbines have also posed a problem for NOAA Fisheries, forcing the agency to reconsider how it conducts fisheries surveys as its traditional research vessels can’t navigate too close to the structures.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

LOUISIANA: Fishermen in Southwest Louisiana Say LNG Terminals Are to Blame for Shrimp Harvest Decline

September 8, 2025 — Ray Mallett started fishing near the mouth of the Calcasieu River more than half a century ago as part of the “mosquito fleet,” a ragtag group of kids that plied the surrounding rivers and bayous in small motorboats in search of crabs.

A Gulf Coast fisherman like his father before him, Mallett harvested shrimp for decades from an estuary in Southwest Louisiana that was once the seafood capital of America.

Now, he can hardly catch enough shrimp to pay for fuel.

“Each year we’re getting less and less,” Mallett said, standing at the helm of his boat, Cajun Memories. The name is a nod to his roots, and as one of the last remaining shrimp boats in Cameron’s port, a once-thriving fishery.

Read the full article at Inside Climate News

LOUISIANA: Seafood testers find Shreveport restaurants deceiving customers with foreign shrimp

March 27, 2025 — Undercover seafood testers sampled a selection of restaurants in the Shreveport area this month and detected what they say is the highest shrimp fraud rate they have recorded to date in Louisiana.

SeaD Consulting, a food testing company that has been making headlines for uncovering seafood fraud at restaurants and festivals across the Gulf Coast, announced in a news release Wednesday that a “troubling” 58% of the restaurants sampled were deceptively serving foreign shrimp falsely presented as if it were domestic in violation of state law.

The company’s use of genetic testing found a total of 17 out of 24 restaurants sampled, or 71%, served foreign farm-raised shrimp. Fourteen of those, or 58%, did so deceptively by mislabeling the country of origin or refusing to indicate it on their menus or restaurant signage.

The sampling, taken March 8-10, is so far the highest inauthenticity rate that SeaD has recorded in Louisiana since it first launched its testing efforts last year at the Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival in Morgan City.

The company does not identify the restaurants that aren’t following the state’s labeling law, opting instead to raise awareness of its existence.

SeaD executive Erin Williams said six of the restaurants were “blatantly being deceptive” by explicitly mislabeling their dishes as “Gulf shrimp” rather than just falsely suggesting it.

It is illegal under federal and state law to mislabel imported seafood as local and can result in fines or other penalties. In some instances, seafood fraud offenses at the federal level can yield criminal charges or even prison time, such as in the 2024 convictions of two Mississippi restaurant owners, one of whom was sentenced to eight months in prison.

Local seafood was once easy to find in Louisiana, but an influx of cheap foreign catch, particularly shrimp and crawfish, has flooded the market over the past two decades.

Williams said she believes there is less public awareness in the Shreveport area of the foreign seafood problem and the plight of the coastal communities that depend on commercial fishermen.

Read the full article at the Louisiana Illuminator

LOUISIANA: Investigation finds evidence of shrimp fraud in Lafayette, Louisiana

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.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

LOUISIANA: Investigation uncovers shrimp fraud in Louisiana ahead of Super Bowl LIX

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.

“While New Orleans has the lowest shrimp fraud rate we’ve seen in our multi-state study so far, the deception we did uncover is particularly blatant,” said Erin Williams, COO of SEAD Consulting. “These restaurants aren’t just using suggestive imagery and
wording—they are explicitly marketing their shrimp as ‘Gulf’ or ‘authentic’ while serving something else. A 13% fraud rate means that if you order eight shrimp dishes advertised as local, chances are one of them isn’t what it claims to be.”

FLORIDA: Tampa Bay area seafood restaurants found mislabeling shrimp

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.”

Read the full article at The Center Square

Patriotic Prawns encouraging US restaurants to sell locally sourced shrimp as concerns over shrimp mislabeling grow

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.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource