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.