As local fishermen in the Gulf struggle to compete in a global market, a new study found that many local restaurants are telling customers one thing and selling another.

According to USA Today, SeaD Consulting, a food safety firm, tested shrimp from Galveston restaurants. They found that many establishments are telling customers their shrimp products are sourced locally, but were actually imported from India, Vietnam, and Ecuador.

Mix 93.1 logo
Get our free mobile app

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 90% of the shrimp eaten in the United States is imported. This hurts our local fishermen and puts diners at an elevated risk of eating tainted shrimp.

Locally Caught Shrimp Not On The Menu Of Many Galveston Restaurants

You could be vacationing in Galveston and eating at a restaurant that says it sells only locally caught shrimp when it is not. Just feet away from the source, customers are being baited and switched.

Read More: Enmormus Shrimp Invade The Texas Gulf Coast 

According to the SeaD Consulting report, 59% of the 44 Galveston restaurants it tested served imported shrimp while claiming it was caught locally. Customers should be told if they are eating shrimp farmed with antibiotics and from countries associated with bad labor practices.

PBS via Youtube
PBS via Youtube
loading...

Keep Reading: 11 Bugs Found In Texas That You Can Eat 

Just this month Louisiana passed a law requiring restaurants selling imported shrimp to disclose the country of origin on the menu. A similar law was passed in Alabama in October.

Low-Cost Imported Shrimp Should Be Disclosed In Texas

If you are dining at a restaurant that says they are serving locally sourced Gulf Coast caught shrimp, ask them to see the packaging it came in. If it is genuine they should be proud to show you, if not take your business elsewhere.

PBS via YouTube
PBS via YouTube
loading...

11 Bugs You Can Eat In Texas

If grocery prices ever get so high that you have no other option, you might be able to find enough of these bugs to survive on.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow

Free Ferry Ride In Galveston, Texas

Ride this free ferry provided by TxDot to get from Galveston to Port Bolivar and the Bolivar Peninsula.

Gallery Credit: Dan Patrick

More From Mix 93.1