(The Center Square) − Amid growing concerns nationwide over seafood fraud, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has emerged as a rare bright spot in the murky world of shrimp sourcing.
A new round of genetic testing found that nearly every shrimp dish sold at this year’s Jazz Fest was made with genuine U.S. wild-caught shrimp from the Gulf — a striking contrast to most restaurants across the South.
The study, conducted by SeaD Consulting using its RIGHTTest genetic analysis tool, examined 19 shrimp-based dishes from vendors at the 2025 festival.
Of those, 18 were verified to contain authentic Gulf shrimp. Only one dish, from a vendor whose other offerings passed the test, was found to use imported shrimp. The test was funded by the Southern Shrimp Alliance, a national advocacy group for domestic shrimpers.
“This is a huge moment of pride for New Orleans,” said Dave Williams, founder of SeaD Consulting. “We found vendors doing the right thing — not because they had to, but because it matters to them, to the community, and to the culture of this city.”
Unlike restaurants, temporary food vendors in Louisiana are not legally required to disclose whether their shrimp is imported or farm-raised. That makes the Jazz Fest findings even more remarkable: Vendors chose to support the local industry on their own.
The result is a resounding show of solidarity with Louisiana shrimpers, who face steep competition from cheaper imported shrimp, often farmed under questionable labor and environmental conditions.
The vendors found serving wild-caught Gulf shrimp span every corner of the festival grounds — from shrimp bread and gumbo in Food Area One, to Vietnamese shrimp skewers in Heritage Square and shrimp ceviche tostadas in the Cultural Exchange Village.
The timing couldn’t be better for Louisiana’s seafood industry. The inshore shrimping season is about to begin, and the industry is fighting an uphill battle. In other parts of the country, seafood fraud is rampant.
Just weeks before the Jazz Fest, SeaD Consulting conducted similar tests at 44 randomly selected restaurants in Wilmington, North Carolina—a coastal city celebrated for its seafood scene.
There, 34 restaurants (77%) were found to be serving imported, farm-raised shrimp, even as menus and servers suggested it was fresh and local. Only 10 establishments passed the authenticity test.
“In Wilmington, the seafood fraud rate is staggeringly high,” said John Williams, executive director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “Restaurants are misleading customers, hurting the local economy, and undermining the hard work of American shrimpers.”
The SSA has been funding shrimp testing across seven Gulf and Southeastern states as part of a broader campaign for transparency. Preliminary findings show that seafood mislabeling occurs in 78% of cases in states without seafood origin labeling laws. Even in states with such laws, fraud rates remain troubling at 36%.
The contrast between New Orleans and Wilmington underscores how cultural institutions like Jazz Fest can drive change. By voluntarily choosing Gulf shrimp, Jazz Fest vendors have shown that integrity and local pride can guide sourcing decisions—even in the absence of regulation.
“There’s no shame in selling imported shrimp,” said Dave Williams. “But there’s a big problem when you pretend it’s local. Let consumers decide—with the truth.”
The Southern Shrimp Alliance says it hopes other events and restaurants will follow Jazz Fest’s example. Until then, diners are encouraged to ask questions, request sourcing details, and support establishments that prioritize transparency and local suppliers.
