Tampa Bay Study Shows Nearly All Restaurants Serve Foreign Shrimp While Claiming Local Catch
DNA testing revealed a shocking discovery: 42 Tampa Bay restaurants out of 44 serve foreign shrimp while leading their customers to believe it’s caught fresh from the Gulf, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Using portable DNA testing equipment, SeaD Consulting checked restaurants across Tampa and St. Petersburg. Only two establishments were truthful about where their shrimp came from, despite widespread use of beach-themed decorations and menu descriptions suggesting local origins.
The Tampa Bay Times quotes John Williams, the executive director of the Tarpon Springs-based Southern Shrimp Alliance, “It’s gotten to a point where folks can buy imported shrimp cheaper than our shrimp”.
The Southern Shrimp Alliance backed this research to highlight the challenges facing local shrimpers. While the U.S. imported 1.7 billion pounds of shrimp last year, concerns loom over the international trade due to human rights issues.
Scientists at Florida State University developed the Rapid ID Genetic High-accuracy Test to tell the difference between wild-caught and farm-raised shrimp. While keeping the failed restaurants anonymous, SeaD plans to mail them letters with their results.
Gulf Coast shrimpers face hard times. Gas prices cut into their earnings, they can’t find enough workers, and storms keep damaging their equipment. Foreign shrimp now makes up over 90% of U.S. shrimp sales.
The rules are straightforward – the Federal Trade Commission prohibits deceptive practices about food origins. Meanwhile, Gulf fishing communities struggle against imported shrimp, which often contains banned chemicals.
The Times also reported that Thomas Sanborn, who owns Stillwaters Tavern, was one of the 2 honest restaurants in the Tampa Bay Area. He said that even though it costs more, his restaurant strives to serve as much locally grown products as possible. He said it simply “tastes better”, even if it is more expensive.
