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Louisiana could soon let officials seize seafood that breaks labeling laws
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BATON ROUGE - Louisiana restaurants claiming to sell local seafood could soon face more than fines.
Louisiana lawmakers are considering a proposal that would allow the state's agriculture commissioner to seize, hold or destroy seafood that violates the law.
While Louisiana ranks sixth in the nation for seafood consumption, according to data from World Population Review, another statistic has lawmakers worried about the future of the seafood industry.
Testing conducted across eight states by SeaD Consulting found that 65% of all shrimp dishes were mislabeled as domestically caught, even though they contained imported shrimp. SeaD leader David Williams says that while the imported option is often cheaper, it cuts into farmers' profits.
"This is basic fraud," said David Williams.
In March, their tests along the Highway 190 corridor found that only about 50 percent of the dishes were authentic Louisiana seafood.
Louisiana lawmakers have targeted imported seafood through several laws over recent years. In 2019, a law required restaurants to display a visible disclaimer when serving imported seafood.
Then, in 2024, another law allowed the commissioner of agriculture to issue fines of up to $500 if a restaurant is caught falsely promoting locally caught seafood. This year, lawmakers want to allow the commissioner to seize, hold, or destroy any seafood found in violation of the previous law.
However, Williams says tests show that the percentage of authentically domestic seafood rises the closer you get to New Orleans.
So far, the state's laws seem to be working. SeaD Consulting says restaurants in states with labeling laws like Louisiana tend not to falsely advertise locally sourced shrimp.
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