US agency investigates shrimp processing fraud

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has obtained search warrants for certain shrimp processing facilities along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in a fraud charge.

The facilities have been accused of mixing wild-caught shrimp from the Gulf with imported farmed shrimp and selling it as domestic. The search warrants enable agents to seize documentation and products from the facilities.

The investigation is currently in its initial stages, said NOAA fisheries law enforcement agent James Kejonen, adding that the agency takes the mislabelling of any seafood product seriously and they are dedicated to stopping it.

A search warrant has been executed at the DoRan Seapak seafood processing facility north of Hammond, Louisiana last week. It was the sixth plant to be searched, according to the plant owner.

The plant owner was told by the agents that he was not the target of the investigation. DoRan Seapak only repackages shrimp for other companies, and officials are seeking information on some of them.

About 90 percent of shrimp consumed in the US is imported. Gulf shrimpers said cheaper imports have driven down the prices of domestic shrimp.

The NOAA is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere.