OUTER BANKS, N.C. — New DNA testing shows diners at some Outer Banks seafood restaurants still face a 50/50 chance of not getting genuine American wild-caught shrimp.
SeaD Consulting conducted the testing June 18 through June 23 on behalf of the Southern Shrimp Alliance.
The testing looked at 22 Outer Banks restaurants that were previously sampled in December.
According to the results, 11 restaurants served authentic American wild-caught shrimp.
The other 11 served imported or farm-raised shrimp.
The latest results show improvement compared to December, when 16 of 44 restaurants passed the authenticity test.
Within the group retested in June, the number of restaurants serving genuine American wild-caught shrimp increased by 10%.
However, SeaD Consulting said seafood mislabeling concerns remain.
According to the organization, 10 of the 11 restaurants serving imported or farm-raised shrimp described their shrimp as American wild-caught when testing showed otherwise.
Seven of the 11 restaurants that failed served imported or farm-raised shrimp during both testing periods.
Four restaurants switched from American wild-caught shrimp in December to imported or farm-raised shrimp in June.
Six restaurants served American wild-caught shrimp during both testing periods.
Those restaurants are:
Goombays Grille & Raw Bar, 1608 N. Virginia Dare Trail, Kill Devil HillsGreentail’s Seafood Market & Kitchen, 3022 S. Croatan Highway Unit 34, Nags HeadO’Neal’s Sea Harvest, 618 Harbor Road, WancheseRed Sky Casual Dining & Cocktails, 1197 Duck Road, DuckSea Chef Dockside Kitchen, 8770 Oregon Inlet Road, Nags HeadVicki B’s Restaurant & Market, 301 Budleigh Street, Manteo
Five restaurants were newly found to be serving American wild-caught shrimp during the June testing period.
According to the press release, Hurricane Mo’s Beachside Bar & Grill in Kitty Hawk was the only one of those five restaurants available at publication time to approve disclosing its change from imported or farm-raised shrimp in December to American wild-caught shrimp in June.
Seafood advocates say the results show public awareness is making a difference, but they believe voluntary compliance is not enough.
The Southern Shrimp Alliance and SeaD Consulting are calling for stronger seafood labeling requirements, including country-of-origin disclosure and testing.
Supporters say mandatory disclosure would help diners know what they are paying for, reward restaurants serving authentic American seafood and protect North Carolina’s commercial fishing industry from unfair competition with lower-cost imported seafood.
State Rep. Celeste Cairns, who represents House District 13, said she intends to help draft legislation during the next session to address seafood mislabeling on menus in North Carolina.
Commercial fishing has long been part of the Outer Banks’ heritage, and advocates say accurate shrimp labeling is one way to support local fishing families and coastal communities.
SeaD Consulting said its testing and reporting is intended as an investigatory tool to help address seafood mislabeling and is not intended for use in legal proceedings without written authorization.
The full press release can be found here.
Dining and Cooking