
Report: “Shrimp Fraud” At Texas Gulf Coast Restaurants
As local fishermen in the Gulf struggle to compete in a global market, a new study found that many local restaurants are telling customers one thing and selling another.
According to USA Today, SeaD Consulting, a food safety firm, tested shrimp from Galveston restaurants. They found that many establishments are telling customers their shrimp products are sourced locally, but were actually imported from India, Vietnam, and Ecuador.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 90% of the shrimp eaten in the United States is imported. This hurts our local fishermen and puts diners at an elevated risk of eating tainted shrimp.
Locally Caught Shrimp Not On The Menu Of Many Galveston Restaurants
You could be vacationing in Galveston and eating at a restaurant that says it sells only locally caught shrimp when it is not. Just feet away from the source, customers are being baited and switched.
Read More: Enmormus Shrimp Invade The Texas Gulf Coast
According to the SeaD Consulting report, 59% of the 44 Galveston restaurants it tested served imported shrimp while claiming it was caught locally. Customers should be told if they are eating shrimp farmed with antibiotics and from countries associated with bad labor practices.
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Just this month Louisiana passed a law requiring restaurants selling imported shrimp to disclose the country of origin on the menu. A similar law was passed in Alabama in October.
Low-Cost Imported Shrimp Should Be Disclosed In Texas
If you are dining at a restaurant that says they are serving locally sourced Gulf Coast caught shrimp, ask them to see the packaging it came in. If it is genuine they should be proud to show you, if not take your business elsewhere.
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