Georgia Senate passes shrimp transparency bill to protect local industry and inform diners

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Georgia restaurants could soon be required to clearly disclose whether the shrimp on their menus comes from imported farms or is harvested domestically.

The Georgia state Senate voted this week to pass legislation that supporters say will promote transparency and support the local U.S. shrimping industry.

It’s an issue WTOC has followed closely. Last year our team met with a seafood testing company, Sead consulting, which sampled shrimp from 44 different Savannah restaurants.

READ HERE: Company tests 44 Savannah seafood restaurants to determine local shrimp authenticity

34 were found to be using imported shrimp, while only 10 out of 44 local seafood spots actually sold authentic, local seafood.

That’s exactly what this bill looks to address.

“It’s amazing that you’ll have restaurants that are sitting on the beach that are watching the shrimp boats go by that are using farm-raised imports,” said John Wallace, director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance and president of Anchored Shrimp Company in Brunswick.

Imported shrimp dominate the market because they’re significantly cheaper. Meanwhile, shrimp harvested in the U.S. face some of the strictest safety, labor, and environmental standards in the world.

“They do over 95% of what the nation consumes is farm-raised and imported,” Wallace explained. “We keep telling ourselves, well, we only have to hit 5% of the people that are willing to look for and ask for domestic wild-caught shrimp.”

The shrimp transparency bill passed the Georgia Senate this week with a strong 43-8 vote, marking years of effort to address the issue. The bill mandates that restaurants must display on their menus—next to each menu item featuring shrimp—whether it is “foreign imported” or domestically sourced.

“It’s like if you’re more transparent with the customers, they’re going to come back,” Wallace said. “A lot of the restaurants, you’ll see more of the restaurants that have a local following that adhere to local products, not just shrimp. They’ll go with local produce, local fish, anything that they’re doing.”

Georgia is not alone in pushing for transparency. Four southern states already have shrimp transparency laws in place, and both South Carolina and Florida are exploring similar legislation.

At the federal level, lawmakers are also taking action. The Label Act would require clear, readable, country-of-origin labels in all retail markets—giving consumers nationwide the ability to identify the source of their seafood.

The bill now heads to the Georgia House for consideration before it reaches Governor Kemp’s desk. As the conversation around seafood sourcing continues to grow, industry advocates like Wallace remain optimistic that transparency will ultimately benefit both consumers and local fishermen.

We will continue to follow this legislation as it advances through the Georgia House.