SEAD Consulting released the results of genetic testing of seafood restaurants in the Wilmington, North Carolina area, finding 77% (34 of 44) misled consumers into thinking they purchased premium U.S. wild-caught shrimp, when they were served farm-raised imported shrimp. The study, commissioned by the Southern Shrimp Alliance, adds to similar findings of false advertising and mislabeling by restaurants in coastal communities across six additional states and underscores the importance of consumer awareness and restaurant labeling laws.
“It’s incredibly disappointing to see restaurants in Wilmington—and in most tested markets— mislead consumers about the origin of their shrimp,” said John Williams, Executive Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “American shrimpers harvest sustainable, high-quality shrimp from our local waters while competing against farm-raised shrimp imports, much of which reduce costs through the use of forced labor, banned antibiotics, and environmental harms. When restaurants mislead customers, they not only damage consumer trust, they undercut the local shrimping economy and culture.”
Key Takeaways
Consumers need support.
- Less than one-quarter of sampled restaurants (10 of 44) were straightforward about the shrimp they serve, placing the burden of verifying restaurant sourcing on the consumer.
- More than half of the tested restaurants in the Wilmington area (25 of 44) explicitly said they were serving local shrimp, either through staff or printed on the menu, when they actually served an imported shrimp product.
Local businesses need support.
Buying lower-quality farm-raised shrimp and advertising it as the preferred local wild-caught shrimp harms the local shrimp industry and honest restaurants and can undermine local tourism. Marketing research shows that 27% of shrimp consumption in the United States occurs while visiting a coastal community.
Labeling laws are helpful.
The inauthenticity rate is lower in the few states that have restaurant labeling laws, averaging 36% vs 78% in states that lack labeling requirements. North Carolina lacks such a law, but clearly needs one.
“Local shrimpers produce a sweet, nutritious, sustainable local seafood that consumers want, but cannot find. We are losing our multigenerational family businesses while consumers mistakenly think they are supporting us and buying the best shrimp available,” said Nancy Edens, a North Carolina board member of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “Government action is needed to enable consumers to make informed decisions and stop false advertising from undercutting local fishermen and honest restaurants.”
Consumers: Ask to See the Box
The testing, which covers a representative selection of area restaurants, warns seafood consumers to avoid assuming shrimp is locally caught, even in coastal areas. Honest restaurants will be happy to show you the box shrimp came in or otherwise demonstrate their commitment to high-quality U.S. wild-caught shrimp.
While not a comprehensive guide to restaurants that use local shrimp, the following randomly sampled Wilmington-area restaurants were serving authentic U.S. wild-caught shrimp:
- Princess Seafood, 3016 Princess Pl Dr; Wilmington, NC 28405
- Cape Fear Seafood Company, 143 Poole Rd; Belville, NC 28451
- Seaview Crab Company, 1515 Marstellar St; Wilmington, NC 28401
- Shuckin’ Shack, 127 N Front St; Wilmington, NC 28401
- Coquina Fishbar, 890 Town Center Dr; Wilmington, NC 28405
- King Neptune, 11 N Lumina Ave; Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480
- Flying Oyster Machine & Bar, 530 Causeway Dr T-1; Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480
- Carolina BBQ & Seafood, 1602 College Rd; Wilmington, NC 28403
- Boathouse Calabash Seafood, 6328 Oleander Dr; Wilmington, NC 28403
- Riverview Restaurant, 121 Riverfront Rd; Fort Fisher Blvd S; Kure Beach, NC 28449
Similarly, the 34 sampled restaurants found by SEAD Consulting to misrepresent their shrimp offerings are likely not the only ones. These restaurants will receive letters urging them to source domestic shrimp or correct their advertising. Follow-up testing is expected.
The genetic testing results are shared in a manner that discourages seafood consumers from avoiding any specific establishment and instead makes them aware of the need to ask questions about the source of their shrimp.