(The Center Square) — A sweeping overhaul of Louisiana’s seafood safety regulations is headed to the governor’s desk, following final legislative approval of a bill that transfers oversight responsibilities from the state’s tourism agency to the Department of Agriculture and Forestry.
House Bill 652, authored by Rep. Timothy Kerner, R-Lafitte, dissolves the current Seafood Safety Task Force under the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism and reestablishes it within the Agriculture Department.
The bill also hands new regulatory authority to Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain, giving his office the power to oversee testing and labeling of imported and commingled seafood sold in Louisiana.
The legislation comes as concern grows nationally about mislabeled or contaminated seafood entering U.S. markets. Last week, members of Congress — including two from Louisiana — introduced the Safer Shrimp Imports Act, a federal bill that would ban shrimp imports from countries without FDA-equivalent inspection regimes.
HB652 creates new civil penalties for seafood processors and distributors that mislabel imported seafood as domestic, or fail to meet safety standards. First-time offenders could now face fines of up to $15,000 − a major increase from the original $1,000 penalty outlined in the House version of the bill. Repeat offenses carry fines up to $50,000.
The Agriculture Department will also be authorized to issue stop orders halting the sale of products that don’t comply with safety or labeling requirements. Affected businesses will be able to challenge stop orders through expedited hearings under the state’s Administrative Procedure Act.
The bill specifically targets “commingled” seafood − products that mix domestic and imported sources − by requiring clear labeling of the product’s origin, including the name of the foreign country involved.
Processors and distributors of imported or commingled seafood must now report testing data, if available, and provide any additional information requested by the Agriculture Department.
If seafood is found to exceed FDA chemical thresholds, it will be reported to the Louisiana Department of Health and considered adulterated under state law.
Kerner said the bill was carefully amended to ensure that domestic shrimpers are not inadvertently swept up in new enforcement efforts.
“It is very difficult for law enforcement to find out if people are cheating,” he said, noting the importance of clearly targeting imported and mixed-origin products.
A key amendment aimed at clarifying the bill’s scope was offered by Rep. Jessica Domangue, R-Houma, during the House debate.
Her language narrowed the reporting requirements to apply only to “commercial processors and distributors of imported and commingled seafood.”
But that protection was ultimately stripped during Senate negotiations. In a back-and-forth with Sen. Stewart Cathey, R-Monroe, Kerner confirmed that Domangue’s amendment had been removed from the final version of the bill.
Cathey said he had heard concerns from industry members who worried that local processors working solely with Louisiana seafood could be inadvertently caught up in the enforcement net.
Seafood advocates have long criticized the influx of cheaper, often unregulated foreign seafood — particularly shrimp and crawfish — which they say undercuts Louisiana fishers and threatens consumer safety. The industry has generally supported moves to enhance inspection and tighten labeling laws.
HB 562 takes effect immediately upon the governor’s signature or if he allows it to become law without signing. Gov. Jeff Landry has not yet publicly commented on the bill
