Louisiana Seafood Festival Under Fire For Selling Foreign Shrimp

If you live in Louisiana and don't enjoy shrimp, then I will say you're likely in the minority. From Delcambre to Holly Beach, and Grand Isle to Delacroix we love our freshly caught, direct from the Gulf of Mexico crustaceans.

It doesn't matter how you prepare your shrimp, when they are a Louisiana-sourced product you know they are safe, they are fresh, and they are going to be delicious. The most popular way people enjoy shrimp around Louisiana is fried. Whether your dipping them in a cocktail sauce or serving them up on a Po Boy sandwich fresh Louisiana shrimp is hard to beat.

A lot of people enjoy their shrimp boiled. I would be one of those people but I really prefer my shrimp to boiled and peeled. I am "bougie" like that and let's face it peeling shrimp can be time-consuming.

But boy is the flavor worth it and so are the economic benefits of Louisiana's Shrimp Industry. The Louisiana Seafood Promotions Board speculates that some 15,000 jobs are in Louisiana because of shrimp and the "crop" is worth over $1.3 billion to the state's economy.

As you can see the shrimp industry in Louisiana is something that should be protected and respected. Apparently, the vendors at one Louisiana seafood festival dedicated to the crustaceans did not get the memo about "buying local". And you can bet that has raised the blood pressure levels and the anxiety of the men and women who are working hard to produce and protect the image of Louisiana shrimp.

What Louisiana Seafood Festival is Alleged to Have Sold Foreign Shrimp?

If you attended this year's version of the Shrimp and Petroleum Festival in Morgan City Louisiana at least one food scientist suggests that you probably ingested foreign-sourced shrimp. Based on the findings of Sea D Consulting about 80% of the vendors selling shrimp at the festival were selling shrimp that wasn't local.

In findings originally published by the Louisiana Illuminator genetic testing of shrimp products sold at the five-day festival revealed that four of the five vendors whose products were tested did not sell locally sourced shrimp. Although, at the time of purchase every vendor stated the crustaceans were harvested from Louisiana waters.

For Shame

WDSU, a New Orleans television station, reportedly reached out to festival organizers and members of Louisiana's Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board but neither entity had returned calls or offered a comment on the allegations that were raised by the Sea D Consulting findings.

Of the five vendors whose products were scrutinized only the shrimp from WoodDreaux's Cajun Cuisine tested "positive for Louisiana". We applaud them for that. For the other four vendors, festival organizers, and the people who get paid money to protect our shrimping families and the great name of Louisiana shrimp you guys need to take a long look in the mirror.

To sell foreign shrimp at a Louisiana "Shrimp" festival stinks worse than Billy Nungesser in corduroy britches on a hot day. Our Louisiana fishing families already have one of the toughest jobs on the planet and the actions of a few have just made their jobs that much harder.

It's unclear if the vendors involved or festival organizers will be scrutinized under Louisiana's revamped and invigorated product labeling laws but there needs to be repercussions. And no matter how much the vendors might deny the claims, chances are they knew the products weren't Louisiana-sourced when they purchased them at a much lower price but sold them as the "real deal".

Please read the label on any and all seafood products you choose to purchase. I know times and money are tight, but when you buy out-of-state or out-of-the-country shrimp you're not helping Louisiana, you're part of the problem.