Study finds 96% of restaurants tested are lying about the source of their shrimp

The Brief
A study found that 96% of restaurants that claim to sell local shrimp are selling shrimp imported from overseas.
The once bustling industry is shrinking in the Bay Area, with only two companies importing locally caught shrimp.
Business owners are frustrated that restaurants can mislead customers about the source of their seafood and that the FTC is struggling to enforce rules against it.
TAMPA, Fla. – A study released this week found shrimp lovers in Tampa Bay may not be getting what they’re paying for, with dozens of restaurants claiming to offer Gulf shrimp actually selling shrimp imported from overseas.

SeaD Consulting, a food safety technology company, used genetic testing on shrimp collected at 44 restaurants in Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg.

Selling shrimp from overseas
Dig deeper:
SeaD determined only two of the restaurants were selling locally caught shrimp: Salt Shack on the Bay in Tampa and Stillwaters Tavern in St. Pete.

“It’s an extremely reliable, robust test that basically can ID shrimp,” said Dave Williams, who founded SeaD. “If we can just get the restaurants along the Gulf Coast to actually honor the imagery that they (are) utilizing to sell that product, then the industry wouldn’t be in the situation is right now.”

According to SeaD, the other 96% of the restaurants tested were, in many cases, making it appear as though their shrimp were locally sourced.

Why the source matters
Why you should care:
Dave and Erin Williams, the company’s Chief Operating Officer, said SeaD made another revelation that should frustrate consumers:

“Most times, people are paying more for what they believe is Gulf shrimp than what is actually Gulf shrimp, which shows that restaurants are fraudulently deceiving consumers,” Erin Williams said.

The Bay Area’s shrimp industry struggles
The report comes as the local shrimping industry struggles to stay afloat.

At Tampa’s shrimp docks, only two companies remain, down from at least a half dozen in the 1990s, according to Justin Versaggi, who owns Versaggi Shrimp Corp.

“It was captains and crews all over the place, boats three, four abreast,” said Versaggi, adding there are now only two companies left at the docks. “The imported shrimp created an uneven playing field for us to operate, so what you’re seeing now is a skeleton crew of a proud industry.”

Versaggi explained that imported shrimp is often farm-grown in another country and costs businesses a fraction of the price of Gulf shrimp to buy.

He gets mad seeing local restaurants selling mislabeled shrimp.

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“You’re going in there spending your money and spending your time to go into their establishment, and they’re taking pictures of our boats, our nets, our captains, our crews, our facility, our operation,” Versaggi said. “(They use) the history of our industry, and they slap it on their menu and charge you wild-harvested prices for shrimp on your plate that ends up coming from Ecuador, India, Indonesia, China. It’s not right.”

Cracking down
What’s next:
The Federal Trade Commission requires restaurants to be honest about where their seafood is sourced.

Versaggi, however, said the FTC has struggled to crack down on dishonest businesses and hopes customers will focus on making sure they’re getting what they pay for.

“You and I can’t tell [it’s not Gulf shrimp] by looking, but when we taste it, we can tell,” Versaggi said.