Louisiana lawmakers are pushing to strengthen the state’s seafood labeling laws, passing legislation to prevent the comingling of imported and domestic shrimp.
HB 857 would require all comingled seafood to be labeled as such – retailers presenting comingled seafood as solely locally-sourced would be fined USD 15,000 (EUR 12,904). Fines would rise to USD 25,000 (EUR 21,506) and USD 50,000 (EUR 43,013) for a second and third offense, respectively.
“This bill takes direct aim at a long-standing gap in our labeling laws by targeting the practice of commingling, where imported seafood is mixed and passed off as local,” bill sponsor and State Representative Tim Kerner (R-Lafitte) said in a social media post. “Instead of relying on labels alone, this legislation shifts the focus to enforcement and traceability, with real penalties for deceptive practices that regulators have said are difficult to police under current law. Louisiana fishermen shouldn’t have to compete with fraud, and consumers shouldn’t have to question what they’re buying. This bill helps put an end to both. If you commit fraud against Louisiana consumers, there will be consequences.”
The legislation was passed unanimously by the Louisiana House 31 March and by the Louisiana Senate 13 May. The bill has been sent to the state’s governor to be signed into law.
The bill was supported by local trade group the Louisiana Shrimp Association.
“Thank you Representative Tim Kerner for working with us to get this bill passed!” the Louisiana Shrimp Association said in a social media post. “This is a big step forward.”
Louisiana first passed legislation requiring restaurants to label imported shrimp in 2019, although limited enforcement and subsequent revelations of prolific levels of imported shrimp being sold in the state have spurred lawmakers to strengthen its labeling law. After a 2023 Louisiana Illuminator investigation found that the state had not issued a single fine for violating the law, the legislature amended the law to authorize fines and strengthen enforcement. DNA testing of shrimp served in local restaurants and at regional shrimp festivals has also outraged lawmakers, who have responded with multiple bills designed to further crack down on shrimp imports.
Earlier in the year, the state legislature passed State Rep. Jessica Domangue’s (R-Houma) HB 121, which authorized the Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner to destroy incorrectly labeled seafood products. That bill was also approved unanimously by both houses of the legislature and signed into law by Governor Jeff Landry 15 May.
Federal representatives from Louisiana have also pushed legislation in Congress to crack down on foreign and imported shrimp. U.S. Representative Troy Carter (D-Louisiana) and U.S. Representative Clay Higgins (R-Louisiana) have introduced the Destruction of Hazardous Imports Act, which would authorize the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to destroy seafood and other imports that fail inspection, preventing them from being reexported through different ports. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce advanced the bill on a 43-0 vote 21 May.
The House of Representatives passed the Save Our Shrimpers (SOS) Act in May. That bill would direct U.S. representatives at international monetary institutions to vote against funding for foreign shrimp aquaculture and processing.
