Researchers find restaurants mislabeling imported shrimp as locally caught

You may think you're eating fresh Gulf shrimp, but there's a good chance you're being scammed

One scientist is blowing the whistle using genetics to catch shrimp fraud in the act

For decades, U.S. shrimpers have been undercut by cheap foreign imports. In Alabama alone, more than two-thirds of licensed shrimpers have closed doors since the 1990s

Now one scientist is using cutting-edge genetic testing to expose who's really serving local seafood and who's faking it

At the 50-year-old National Shrimp Festival in Alabama, vendors promised shrimp just about any way you want it

Places that used to sell Gulf shrimp and were prior to selling Gulf shrimp have gone for a cheaper, easier solution

And what they're doing is they're using imported shrimp instead of Gulf shrimp. But when Dave Williams and his team from Seed Consulting tested the shrimp

Four out of five vendors were selling imported farm-raised shrimp despite advertising local Gulf seafood

Williams is a fisheries scientist who spent four years at Florida State University developing a rapid genetic test that can identify shrimp origins even after it's cooked in under two hours

Last November his group launched a statewide testing campaign targeting restaurants and festivals along the Gulf The results were worse than expected In Louisiana alone 71 of 24 restaurants tested served foreign farm shrimp and 58 deceptively

labeled them as domestic. Williams says he doesn't object to imported shrimping sold as long as it's

clearly labeled. Now, we at Sea Consulting have no problem with a Chinese restaurant selling

imported shrimp on a menu item. What we have a problem with is when somebody has a picture of

the boat on the wall and nets on the corner and a term like shrimper's net catch for their

peel and eat entree. Come on, it should be Gulf shrimp, has to be Gulf shrimp

The campaign is working. Louisiana passed stricter shrimp labeling laws in January

Since then, state officials have issued over 130 fines and documented more than 400 violations

But Williams knows the work is far from over. A recent round of testing at restaurants in North Carolina revealed a staggering 77 percent fraud rate, underscoring just how widespread the problem remains

His team is committed to continuing their efforts to protect local fishermen

hold businesses accountable, and ensure that when you order Gulf shrimp, that's exactly what ends up on your plate