Tag Archives: Louisiana
Higgins, Nehls Introduce the Save the Shrimpers Act
C
ongressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) and Troy Nehls (R-TX) reintroduced the Save Our Shrimpers Act, which prohibits federal funds from being made available to International Financial Institutions (IFIs) that finance activities related to shrimp farming, shrimp processing, or the export of shrimp to the United States. This legislation directs an investigation within the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) and requires annual reports to Congress that track whether IFIs’ U.S. Executive Directors are complying with Federal law USC 262(h) and opposing any assistance from international financial institutions that cause injury or harm to U.S. producers. Congressman Higgins has been a strong advocate for Louisiana’s seafood industry. Most recently, in February, he sent a letter to President Trump requesting tariffs and increased trade enforcement for seafood imports from China, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:45
Commercial Fisherman Wilbert “Ben” Danos of Larose, Louisiana, has passed away
Wilbert “Ben” Danos, 95, a native and resident of Larose, passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 6, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. Mr. Ben spent his life on the water first as a tugboat captain then became a commercial fisherman. He, with his wife Ruth as his deckhand, trawled for many years proudly creating their legacy of 3 generations of fishermen. He loved his grandchildren and great-grandchildren deeply as they did him. He will be missed by all those who knew and loved him. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:22
Four Lafayette seafood restaurants found potentially noncompliant with Louisiana shrimp labeling laws
A recent study by SeaD Consulting found that four Lafayette-area seafood restaurants are misrepresenting their shrimp menu items to the public. SeaD Consulting partners with the seafood industry and academic and governmental institutions to conduct genetic testing of seafood species, in order to uncover labeling and substitution fraud in restaurants. On Feb. 27, SeaD released the results of their investigation into the Lafayette-area market. After conducting random genetic testing on shrimp dishes from 24 local restaurants, the group found that 33% of the sampled restaurants are serving farm-raised imported shrimp. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:26
The History of the Louisiana Menhaden Industry
Few people realize that one of Louisiana’s most valuable fisheries isn’t for shrimp, oysters, or crab—but for a small, unassuming fish that has fueled our state and local economies: the menhaden. The first large-scale menhaden fishery in the U.S. began on the East Coast in the early 1800s, where the fish were processed for oil and fertilizer. By the late 19th century, the industry expanded into the Gulf, where Louisiana’s nutrient-rich estuaries provided an ideal habitat for vast menhaden populations. Processing plants soon emerged along the coast, and by the early 20th century, the Gulf menhaden fishery was a booming industry, supplying fish oil for industrial uses and fish meal for livestock feed. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:03
On Louisiana’s coast, communities embrace ‘Gulf of America’ rebrand
Sitting in the business office next to his boat dock and shrimp processing plant, David Chauvin couldn’t be more excited about the Gulf of Mexico’s rebrand to the Gulf of America. Chauvin is already scrawling Gulf of America on his seafood companies’ invoices. Last week, he submitted a trademark application for a new Gulf of America logo he plans to use on his shrimp packaging later this year. Chauvin’s life is intimately tied to, and almost entirely dependent on the gulf. His family businesses include David Chauvin Seafood, Bluewater Shrimp and Chicky Lou’s. They cover nearly all the stages of getting shrimp from the gulf to people’s plates. The companies sell fresh shrimp wholesale and through a retail store. They also peel, process and freeze shrimp, and supply shrimp boats with fuel and ice. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:18
U.S. Coast Guard Rescues Three Fishermen Off Louisiana
On Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued three people from a fishing vessel that capsized off the coast of Louisiana. At about 0830 hours on Thursday morning, Eighth Coast Guard District received an EPIRB alert from a fishing vessel located about 40 miles off Calibou Bay. The watchstanders issued a broadcast requesting help from merchant vessels and diverted a nearby Ocean Sentry aircrew to the scene. The aircrew spotted the boat, which was partially sunken, and a life raft floating near it. Photos, Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:07
Should Trump levy tariffs to protect this Louisiana industry? Clay Higgins asks for help
Acadiana Congressman Clay Higgins has asked President Trump to increase tariffs and trade enforcement on shrimp, crawfish and other imported seafood to protect one of Louisiana signature industries. Louisiana is the second-largest seafood producing state behind only Alaska.“Domestic shrimpers, fishermen, and crawfish producers in Louisiana and across the country face significant challenges competing against foreign seafood industries that are heavily subsidized and engage in illegal dumping into the United States,” Higgins wrote in a letter to Trump. “These unrighteous trade practices artificially drive down prices, disrupt fair market conditions, and threaten the livelihoods of hardworking American seafood producers. more. >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:05
Louisiana: Rep. Higgins asks President Trump for seafood tariff
Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) has delivered an official letter to President Trump, requesting tariffs and increased trade enforcement on seafood imports. Countries specifically mentioned in the letter include China, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam, which Higgins says are hampering domestic shrimpers, fishermen, and crawfish producers. He says foreign seafood industries are heavily subsidized and engage in illegal dumping into the United States, artificially driving down prices and disrupting fair market conditions. You can read the letter in full below. more, >>CLICK TO READ<<14:53
Seafood-testing campaign ahead of Super Bowl raises awareness of foreign shrimp
A new round of genetic seafood testing conducted for a state advisory panel detected foreign shrimp that was falsely presented as domestic in a small percentage of the restaurants sampled in New Orleans, despite a new state law that forbids the practice. SeaD Consulting, a Houston, Texas, company, made headlines last year when it detected mostly foreign shrimp served at the Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival in Morgan City. It announced Monday that it tested seafood at 24 randomly selected restaurants ahead of Super Bowl LIX and found three had served foreign, farm-raised shrimp while billing their catch as local. “Customers deserve to know exactly what they’re eating, and our shrimping communities must be able to trust that restaurants using local shrimp imagery and language are genuinely selling that product,” Louisiana Shrimp Task Force member Andrew Blanchard said in a statement. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:42
Shrimp tested at NOLA restaurants: “The most blatant examples of inauthenticity”
The shrimp testers are back in Louisiana, testing the authenticity of seafood at New Orleans restaurants ahead of the Super Bowl. New Orleans restaurants claiming to sell ‘Gulf’ shrimp were tested for authenticity, with about 1 out of 8 restaurants passing off imported shrimp as locally caught. SeaD Consulting tested shrimp at 24 restaurants and found that 3 of them were serving imported shrimp. Dave Williams, Founder of SeaD Consulting, said this is a very high level of authenticity compared to other places. “The restaurants that were inauthentic were inauthentic in a very egregious manner,” Dave said. “They were using lots and lots of imagery, wording and bold statements that they’re serving Gulf shrimp, and they weren’t. The offenders were really, really bad.” Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:58
Tampa Bay area seafood restaurants found mislabeling shrimp
Tampa and St. Petersburg are facing a startling revelation with only two out of 44 sampled restaurants serve authentic, wild-caught Gulf shrimp. A recent investigation, led by SeaD Consulting, exposes a 96% fraud rate, with most establishments relying on imported, farm-raised shrimp from countries like India, Vietnam and Ecuador. The investigation identified just two restaurants as serving genuine Gulf shrimp, putting into question the region’s seafood reputation. The Gulf Coast’s shrimp industry faces stiff competition from cheaper imports. Over 90% of shrimp consumed in the U.S. is imported, often produced with banned chemicals or under unethical labor conditions. Meanwhile, local shrimpers struggle with rising fuel costs and shrinking market demand for genuine Gulf shrimp. more, >>CLICK TO READ<<07:08
Louisiana’s new seafood origin law could still shield foreign catch at restaurants, grocers
Act 148 of the 2024 regular legislative session brought sweeping changes to laws affecting restaurants and other food establishments in an effort to protect Louisiana’s struggling domestic seafood industry. However, the new law, which took effect Jan. 1, could undergo some clarification revisions when lawmakers reconvene this spring. At issue are several provisions concerning menu and labeling requirements. One provision in the new law requires any food service establishment that serves foreign crawfish or shrimp to print a disclaimer on its menu: “Some items served at this establishment may contain imported crawfish or shrimp. Ask for more information.” If the establishment does not use a menu, it must print the disclaimer on a sign at the entrance of the establishment. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:05
Setting the Record Straight on Louisiana’s Shrimping Challenges
Against this diverse backdrop, the shrimping and energy industries stand out as particularly significant pillars of this economy, but ones that some environmentalists have increasingly tried to play at odds against each other. While the energy industry in Louisiana continues to grow, shrimpers have unfortunately struggled. Just a few years ago, local shrimpers were fetching nearly four dollars per pound of shrimp. But last year, locals said they were lucky to sell shrimp at $.80 per pound. As Louisiana Shrimp Association President Acy Cooper said, “shrimping is a way of life passed down through generations. It offered decent pay at one time, enough to provide for a family.” Never to let a good opportunity go to waste, environmental activists have taken to national news outlets to smear liquefied natural gas (LNG) companies for these issues, inaccurately accusing them of hindering local shrimping operations and running fishermen out of business. But the reality is that massive seafood imports mostly from Asia, not LNG projects, are the true cause of shrimpers current woes. Links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:02
New law aims to support La. seafood industry
A new law is now in affect across the state requiring restaurants to provide transparency on where they are sourcing their seafood. Louisiana Law Act 148 became effective on Jan. 1 and requires restaurants that serve seafood to have the origins of their seafood listed on their menus. “We actually love the new law because we have been serving Louisiana crawfish and gulf shrimp our entire operation,” said Paige Vidrine at Steamboat Bill’s. “My mom started selling shrimp on the side of the road from shrimpers that were coming in from Hackberry and she bought her first dock there. That’s how Steamboat Bill’s came to be – from shrimping. So, it’s something integral in our culture and it’s something we will always love to support our local American farmer.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:533
Multiple restaurants found mislabeling Gulf shrimp | So why do they remain anonymous?
Shrimp and seafood lovers in and around Louisiana and the Gulf Coast may have seen a recent report from SeaD Consulting, a company that does genetic testing of seafood, monitoring for mislabeling and substitution fraud in the industry. In the first in a series of investigations across the state, the company sampled menu items at 24 restaurants in Baton Rouge, discovering that more than one in four dishes sampled were misrepresented. A new law taking effect January 1 will require Louisiana restaurants to clearly state the country of origin of the shrimp and crawfish they sell. If found in violation, restaurants could face thousands of dollars in fines. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:43
‘Tariffs not enough’ to save U.S. shrimping industry
Alan Gibson, president of Tideland Seafood, summed up the frustration at a recent Louisiana Shrimp Task Force hearing in Houma. “Tariffs aren’t enough,” Gibson said. “The decrease in import prices is because of oversupply. They’re competing against each other to sell market share, and we’re fighting them, who are fighting each other.” Gibson called for a 25% import quota, saying it could reduce foreign competition enough to restore balance to the market. David Chauvin, a Louisiana-based seafood company owner, highlighted the disparity. Unlike tariffs, quotas directly limit the volume of imports, addressing the core issue of oversupply. By restricting imports, a quota could help stabilize domestic shrimp prices, allowing U.S. producers to compete more effectively. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:58
Gov. Jeff Landry denounced a $3 billion coastal restoration plan. Shrimpers are thrilled.
It’s becoming harder to get by as a shrimp boat captain. The cost of fuel is up, but the price of shrimp is going down. And in grocery stores, cheap imported shrimp is outcompeting their wild-caught product, shrimpers say. On top of that, the shrimpers see a massive coastal restoration project as a threat to their livelihood. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, 
the cornerstone of the state’s plan to protect Louisiana’s rapidly eroding coastline, proposes to slice open a section of the levee that keeps North America’s largest river from its natural wanderings and allow freshwater and sediment to enter the Barataria Basin, where the shrimpers work. “The scientists, they’re working toward one main goal,” said Andry, and “it is not to preserve culture here.” But lately the fishermen have had reason for optimism after Gov. Jeff Landry signaled his opposition to the project, which has been in limbo for the last several months. Echoing many shrimpers, he said the project would “break our culture.” Many of those whose livelihoods depend on the basin share Landry’s assessment. 23 photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:46
Louisiana Shrimpers face crisis as cheap imports threaten $1.3 billion industry
Louisiana’s shrimp industry, an essential part of the state’s economy and cultural identity, is under serious threat. A flood of cheap imported shrimp is driving prices to record lows, leaving local shrimpers fighting to survive. Without swift action, this generations-old way of life could vanish, taking with it jobs, traditions, and a vital piece of Louisiana’s coastal economy. Family-owned shrimping businesses, often passed down through generations, are struggling to stay afloat. The combination of plummeting prices and rising costs is forcing many to consider leaving the industry altogether. The potential collapse of the shrimping industry would devastate coastal towns like Grand Isle, Delcambre, and Pointe à la Hache, where much of the local economy depends on shrimping.
more,>>CLICK TO READ<< 08:52
Gov. Landry has pulled the plug on Louisiana’s biggest coastal project, Tulane expert says
A Tulane University environmental law expert said he believes Governor Jeff Landry has effectively killed Louisiana’s largest coastal project as envisioned. “What the governor did, basically, was pull the plug on the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion,” said Mark Davis, a senior research fellow and founding director of the Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy. Landry told a Senate committee in Baton Rouge last Thursday that the $3.1 billion diversion would destroy Louisiana’s culture. In doing so, Landry sided with many commercial fishermen and other critics, who argue that 75,000 cubic feet per second of Mississippi River water would devastate the Barataria Basin, marine life and those who make their livings fishing these waters. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:40
Coast Guard investigating death on fishing boat
The US Coast Guard is investigating the death of a 61-year-old man linked to an injury onboard a fishing boat in the Gulf of Mexico, and Justice of the Peace Joseph Guillory II says the crew reports the man became entangled in some fishing equipment. The Coast Guard spokesman tell KFDM/Fox 4 News Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston requested a medevac early Sunday morning from the fishing vessel “Lucky Aaron” about 85 nautical miles southeast of Sabine Pass in Louisiana waters. There was a reported injury, according to the Coast Guard. The man was unconscious, and the crew couldn’t detect a pulse. The vessel was en route to Sabine Pass at 3:30 a.m. It arrived late Sunday morning. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:29
Fewer fish spills reported after Louisiana pushes pogy boats from coast
In 2022, a menhaden fishing ship and its net boats spilled about a million fish off the Louisiana coast, leaving the floating mass to rot in the summer sun. A few months later, another spill blanketed Louisiana beaches with an estimated 850,000 dead fish. The two incidents pushed the state’s leaders to enact the first significant restrictions on the Gulf of Mexico’s largest but least-regulated fishery. Starting this year, catchers of menhaden, a foot-long fish with a host of industrial uses, must stay a half mile from much of the Louisiana coast and a mile from three ecologically sensitive areas. But the menhaden industry says better nets rather than bigger buffers have played a far bigger role in reducing spills. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:44
Photos: Louisiana Shrimp Fest/ Shrimp Aid brings attention to the struggling local shrimp industry
The Louisiana Shrimp Fest/ Shrimp Aid was held at the Broadside in New Orleans on Sunday. Local chefs and coastal organizations put on the new festival to bring attention to the struggling local shrimp industry and the people effected. Dishes with local caught shrimp were served by a variety vendors as musician performed on the stage. Panel discussions with shrimpers and people involved in the industry stressed the need for consumers to ask where their shrimp comes from and to demand locally caught shrimp. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<<08:39
Louisiana lawmaker grills Shrimp & Petroleum Festival for selling imported shrimp
A state lawmaker has issued a scathing rebuke of what she characterized as an embarrassing and “misleading” response from the Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival after the Illuminator reported that multiple vendors sold imported shrimp at this year’s event. State Rep. Jessica Domangue, R-Houma, wrote an open letter to festival organizers that she posted Thursday on Facebook. “Growing up in St. Mary Parish in a family of generations of commercial shrimpers, I was appalled to learn of the widespread selling of imported shrimp at the Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival,” Domangue wrote. “I found the festival’s official response in an October 1 press release to be an embarrassment.” The testing was performed at the five-day festival over the Labor Day weekend by Sea D Consulting, a food safety technology company that recently developed a rapid seafood species identification test in collaboration with Florida State University microbiologist Prashant Singh. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:32
Testing finds mostly foreign shrimp at Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival
Genetic testing of seafood served at the recent Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival in Morgan City found four out of five vendors evaluated were serving foreign shrimp passed off as local. The testing was performed at the five-day festival over the Labor Day weekend by Sea D Consulting, a food safety tech company that recently developed a rapid seafood species identification test. Company owner Dave Williams of Houston said local shrimpers in Louisiana invited him to Morgan City to try out his technology at the festival, first held in 1936 and where attendees would expect to find local catch. Williams said he purchased plates of boiled shrimp from five of the roughly 12 seafood vendors at the event, asking each where the shrimp was caught. All five vendors assured him their shrimp came from Louisiana waters, he said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:46
Is Your ‘Gulf’ Shrimp Actually Farm-Raised Overseas?
Think you love Gulf shrimp? It’s possible you’ve never even tasted it. Last Labor Day weekend, sample genetic testing at the Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival in Morgan City, Louisiana — where you’d naturally think “Gulf” shrimp was being sold and promoted in a town built on shrimping — revealed that only one of five vendors (Woodreaux’s Cajun Cuisine) was actually serving the real deal. Unaware festival goers never thought to question the source as they consumed imported, farm-raised shrimp right next to the Gulf of Mexico. Shrimp switching is likely happening at your favorite seafood eatery or grocery store, too, despite labeling and signage that may mislead you, just as it did those festival goers. Doug Olander, a commercial shrimp fisherman from Port St. Mary, Louisiana, whose boats have mostly remained docked for two years, says the supply chain needs the transparency that widespread testing provides. “This type of fraud should be a crime,” Olander says. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:38
As Terrebonne recovers from Francine, some residents worry about its future
Recovery efforts continued Thursday in Terrebonne Parish, where thousands remained without electricity a day after Hurricane Francine made landfall there. While the Category 2 storm brought less severe property damage than recent storms, it left some residents with greater worries for the area’s future. Among them is Terrebonne Parish Councilwoman Kim Chauvin, who spent much of the day looking for and clearing clogged storm drains. One of the few remaining shrimpers in Louisiana, Chauvin and her family operate shrimp boats, a fuel and ice dock, a shrimp processing plant and seafood shop. Her home and businesses lost power when the storm approached, and she was still without electricity as of 8 p.m. Thursday. Entergy Louisiana reported less than 22,000 of its customers in Terrebonne Parish were powerless as of 7 a.m. Friday. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:23
Shrimp scurry from Hurricane Francine storm surge, filling fishing nets of struggling shrimpers
Hurricane Francine closed in on Terrebonne and Lafourche with 100 mph winds Sept. 11. As the storm pushed tidal waters toward land, shrimp scurried for inland waters. Shrimpers took advantage of the migration, dropping nets and pulling in thousands of pounds in a short timeframe. The hauls were great, but the low prices meant what would have been a drop in the bucket, instead fell in an empty pail. “We did good last night and the night before,” Jonathan Guidry said. “The shrimp was jumpin’ all over. They had some land nets on side of us. They was startin’ to pick up every 10 minutes, and they had maybe 120 to 130 pounds every 10 to 30 minutes.” Guidry said with all the flood gates closed, he thinks the shrimp were funneled through the Bubba Dove lock gate as they sought safety from the storm. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:11
Hurricane Francine is predicted to make landfall west of New Orleans
Hurricane Francine is crossing over warm waters in the western Gulf of Mexico, and it has Louisiana’s coast — and the greater New Orleans area — in its sights, according to the National Hurricane Center’s latest forecast. The storm became a hurricane Tuesday night; its maximum sustained winds are now topping 90 mph. As of 10 a.m. CT, Francine was about 150 miles southwest of Morgan City, La., moving northeast at 13 mph. “Francine is anticipated to make landfall in Louisiana … late this afternoon or evening,” the hurricane center said on Wednesday. If the storm surge coincides with high tide, water could reach 5 to 10 feet above ground in areas from Louisiana’s Intracoastal City and Vermilion Bay to Port Fourchon. The hurricane’s outer bands of rain began hitting Lafayette, Baton Rouge and other areas in southern Louisiana Wednesday morning. In the gulf, an oil platform north of the center recently reported a peak gust of 105 mph, the NHC said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:21
Hurricane Francine bears down on Louisiana: Here’s when and where to expect landfall
Hurricane Francine is bearing down on Louisiana with an expected landfall Wednesday afternoon packing winds of up to 100 mph as a potential Category 2 hurricane. Landfall impact remains likely at or near Vermilion Bay, but Louisiana State Climatologist Jay Grymes said Francine’s track is shifting slightly to the east, which places the state Capitol of Baton Rouge in peril on the eastern side of the storm. “The real action begins Wednesday morning with tropical storm winds before landfall mid-afternoon or evening,” Grymes said during Tuesday’s news conference with Gov. Jeff Landry. “The forecast is for a storm surge of 6-10 feet in Vermilion Bay, but the track has moved ever so slightly east so now Baton Rouge is under the gun. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:20
“We’re not getting the full value out of it”: The future of local seafood in Louisiana
“Industries change over time, like anywhere you are, and so we’re just adapting to the new realities of the seafood supply chain.” LSU’s Seafood Processing Demonstration Lab is a hub for research and innovation. “Our main focus is in underutilized species and byproduct recovery,” said. As the only facility of its kind in-state, this Louisiana Sea Grant-sponsored program works with local processors, restaurateurs, and fishermen, to build local connections. “Louisiana is the #2 seafood state in the nation,” said co-director Thomas Hymel, “but a lot of our product is uh–we’re not getting the full value out of it.” Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:10
