South Carolina just became the latest state to address a widespread form of seafood fraud. With the General Assembly’s passage of H4248, the Palmetto State has joined a growing list of states pushing back against restaurants passing off imported, farm-raised shrimp as authentic, wild-caught shrimp.
This spring, the South Carolina House and Senate passed different versions of the shrimp transparency bill, which was negotiated in conference to require food service establishments to conspicuously display a disclaimer on their menus and on a sign visible to the public at their main entrance, indicating that the establishment uses or may use imported shrimp. Yesterday, the Senate adopted the conference solution by a 33-5 vote.
It’s a milestone worth celebrating — and a reminder of just how much work remains.
South Carolina’s Shrimp Transparency Problem
Between May 19-22, 2025, the Southern Shrimp Alliance commissioned SeaD Consulting to conduct genetic testing on shrimp dishes served at 44 Charleston-area restaurants. The findings shocked the community: only 9% (4 out of 44) of sampled restaurants were found to be serving genuine domestic wild-caught shrimp.
It also confirmed what U.S. shrimpers know to be true: consumers are told they are eating U.S. wild-caught shrimp, when they’re not. Genetic testing revealed that of Charleston restaurants that used farm-raised shrimp from undisclosed sources, 62.5% (25 of 40) claimed to serve domestic wild-caught shrimp on their menus and/or in staff descriptions. That denies consumer choice in a market where the majority of shrimp originates from countries associated with banned antibiotic use, forced labor, and environmental harms.
A February 2026 retest of half the sampled restaurants found little change, despite the public scrutiny. 53% (9 of 17) of sampled restaurants serving farm-raised imported shrimp verbally claimed to sell American wild-caught shrimp, even though genetic testing showed they were not.
Additional testing in February 2026 demonstrated that the problem is not limited to a single South Carolina market. The analysis found that only 25% (11 of 44) of sampled Myrtle Beach restaurants were serving authentic American wild-caught shrimp. Among those serving imported shrimp, 55% (18 of 33) verbally claimed, or the menu reflected, that they were selling American wild-caught shrimp when genetic testing showed they were not.
This matters because of how and where people buy shrimp. Marketing research shows 27% of U.S. shrimp consumption occurs when visiting coastal communities, like Charleston or Myrtle Beach, where consumers expect U.S. wild-caught shrimp. Branding, menu descriptions such as “Lowcountry,” décor, or proximity to local docks all reinforce that perception, whether or not it’s true. The resulting lack of transparency means consumers are frequently denied the opportunity to make informed decisions, and sales of premium U.S. wild-caught shrimp benefit foreign producers at the expense of U.S. fishermen.
A Problem Bigger Than One State
SeaD Consulting has now tested more than 1,000 restaurants across the eight shrimp-producing states, demonstrating that shrimp transparency and labeling problems are widespread and not limited to one market or state. However, their testing also shows that state transparency and labeling laws work. The inauthenticity rate averages 68% in states without labeling laws, compared with 30.5% in states with labeling laws.
Since 2024, five shrimp-producing states—Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas—have passed or strengthened shrimp labeling and transparency laws. South Carolina is now the sixth.
“South Carolina is taking steps to confront seafood fraud head-on instead of looking away. This law demonstrates that passing off imported farm-raised shrimp as American-caught will not be tolerated,” said Blake Price, Executive Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “Consumers want the fresh taste and crisp bite unique to the shrimp species that live off the U.S. coast. This law gives South Carolina’s commercial shrimping fleet — multigenerational, working-waterfront businesses that depend on customers’ trust in what’s on the menu — a foothold to build on.”
America’s shrimping industry, and the consumers who support it, deserve nothing less than transparency. The Southern Shrimp Alliance expresses gratitude to all those involved in passing the South Carolina legislation, including the original sponsor, SC Representative Bill Herbkersman, cosponsors, and SC House Conference Chair Shannon Erickson. We appreciate the strong industry advocacy and the leadership of the South Carolina Shrimpers Association, which engaged with the legislators at every stage, driving the legislation forward for SC shrimpers. We also thank the coalition of local restaurants, the Beaufort Area Hospitality Association, and SeaD Consulting for their ongoing support of seafood transparency.
The Southern Shrimp Alliance will keep pushing for strong enforcement and full transparency so that what’s on the menu finally matches what’s on the plate.