Only LA Certified Will Do
It was like a scene in a detective movie: undercover seafood testers sampled a selection of restaurants in the Shreveport area recently and uncovered what they say is the highest shrimp fraud rate they have recorded to date in Louisiana. Of the 24 restaurants sampled, 17 were found to have been serving foreign farm-raised shrimp. Fourteen of those did so deceptively by mislabeling the country of origin or not indicating it on their menus. The introduction of imported shrimp and their mismarketing has become a problem of epidemic proportion that threatens Louisiana’s $1.3 billion dollar shrimp industry.
While laws have been in place since 2019 to make retailers more transparent about where their shrimp originates, state authorities began cracking down harder on restaurants (and food trucks) that mislead their customers into thinking the foreign farm-raised seafood they’re eating is wild-caught from the Gulf of Mexico.
Consumers are often unaware that the shrimp they are purchasing comes from another country. What’s more, they’re often paying for what they think are high-quality, wild Gulf shrimp, but are really an inferior product farm farm-raised in Asia or India, using controversial aquaculture practices. Case in point: A 2020 study by Louisiana State University found two thirds of imported shrimp samples purchased in Baton Rouge contained banned veterinary drugs.
The influx of cheaper imported shrimp has negatively impacted the Louisiana shrimp industry for several years, leading to lower prices for shrimpers, making it difficult for them to compete while maintaining their boats, meeting with storms and hurricanes and dealing with the rising costs of fuel.
Consequently, the number of shrimpers in Louisiana has declined to some 3,800, compared to the nearly 30,000 in the 1980s. They simply can’t afford to go out and fish. Louisiana hauls in over 70 million pounds of shrimp a year, but that still doesn’t meet the country’s demand of nearly 2 BILLION pounds annually. Cheap imports comprise 90% of what the U.S. consumes.
To help shield restaurants and grocery stores from selling foreign shrimp, a new labeling law was enacted at the start of this year, requiring food establishments to state the origin of their shrimp (and crawfish) on menus, distinguishing between local and imported products, using a standard language that makes it easy for the consumer to identify where the crustaceans are sourced. The law enforces stiff fines for those who don’t comply. The bill also requires all local school districts, state agencies and state institutions that serve seafood to use only domestic shrimp (and crawfish.)
Identifying LA Shrimp
- Packaging of foreign shrimp can be misleading, often using Louisiana-related images, phrases or graphics. (Foreign companies can continue to use such marketing if they indicate the seafood’s country of origin on the front of the package.)
- Previously, shrimp might have been advertised as “Wild Caught Gulf Shrimp,” but it often deliberately failed to specify which Gulf it came from.
- Just because the packaging bears a Cajun name, like Boudreaux, doesn’t mean it’s local. Check the fine print on the backside that may read “Product of China.”
- You’ll often see shrimp on ice at grocery stores and not know that they are often taken out of packages from a foreign country. Even these displays now require a sign that states the origin of the shrimp.
The point is to educate consumers in making their decisions about the shrimp they are buying.
As one restaurateur put it, “We need to think more like our ancestors did and eat what’s available close to home.” So, the next time you purchase shrimp in a restaurant or grocery store, support our shrimpers by making sure it’s local – ask questions.
This month is a great time to pay homage to these hard-working fishermen and enjoy the fruits of their labor by making your way to the Delcambre Shrimp Festival August 13 through 17.
The fall white shrimp season usually opens in mid-August and runs through December, sometimes into January. Buy them fresh off the boats at the Delcambre Seafood & Farmers market.
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