Are you paying for authentic Gulf shrimp at restaurants?

LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — When it comes to buying seafood, most of us want to know exactly what we are paying for and where it comes from, especially if it comes at a higher price.

The company SeaD Consulting recently found a correlation showing some restaurants may be providing imported shrimp, but advertising and selling it as authentic gulf shrimp.

“If you sell gulf shrimp, you get an average of $14 per plate. If you sell imported shrimp and claim, its Gulf shrimp, you get a similar average of about $14 a plate. If you sell shrimp and label, it properly as imported shrimp, you only get on average $10 a plate,” said founder of SeaD Consulting David Williams.

An average of $4 more per plate makes a difference for restaurants. The issue SeaD Consulting has is that mislabeling is a profit-making tactic and is dishonest to the consumer. The shrimping and overall seafood industry has been in a decline because of its battle with cheaper imported products. This tactic prevents the domestic industry from flourishing once again.

“It’s just not right. It’s not right that that people are paying and thinking they’re getting something good and they’re not,” said Cheri Blanchard with the Southern Shrimp Alliance.

A recent law mandates restaurants to label the origin of their seafood on menus. Williams says the restaurants that they find in violation have been reported to the necessary agencies.

“Department of Health is supposedly the ones who are in charge of this particular situation, and we would love for them to start enforcing it, using our information and testing procedures,” said Williams.

You can report seafood fraud at a restaurant here.

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