Have you ever sat down at a dockside restaurant, excited to feast on seafood that came straight from local waters — only to find out it didn’t? Two recent investigations add to a rising tide of evidence that much of the “local” seafood we’re served isn’t local at all.
The stories — one from FoodPrint, the other from The FERN and Gravy’s podcast — dig into the shady world of seafood marketing and (mis)labeling, where global supply chains, lax regulations, and misleading imagery make it easy for businesses to pretend their seafood is local. This kind of “local-washing” — whether it’s mislabeling or simply letting the branding, setting, or story do the misleading — hurts fishing communities. It undercuts the prices real local fishers depend on, making it harder for them to compete, stay in business, and pass down generational traditions.
From Long Island to the Gulf: Unpacking ‘Local-Washing’
In the FoodPrint feature, reporter Hannah Walhout dives deep into the tangled supply chains and marketing practices that lead to so-called “local” seafood being anything but. The article explores the concept of “local-washing,” which is not just about seafood being falsely labeled as local. ‘Local-washing’ also happens when businesses let customers assume it’s local, based on proximity, decor, or nods to regional fishing culture. The story also delves into how convoluted global trade, lax regulations, and intentional or unintentional misrepresentation make it easy to deceive consumers.
NAMA’s own Feini Yin was interviewed for the piece, offering perspective on supply chain transparency and labeling loopholes. The author also spoke with Dana Honn, one of NAMA’s close collaborators in the fight for seafood transparency. With perspectives from chefs, advocates, and organizations, the article lays out practical tips for identifying truly local, responsibly caught fish. And, it reminds readers that consumer choices alone won’t fix a broken system.
Biloxi’s Seafood Scandal: Fish Fraud and Public Apathy
In a podcast from The FERN, produced with Gravy, journalist Boyce Upholt uncovers a jaw-dropping case of seafood fraud in Biloxi, Mississippi. The town has long called itself the “Seafood Capital of the World.” In 2024, the owners of Mary Mahoney’s Old French House, a beloved 60-year-old restaurant, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to misbrand fish and wire fraud after selling more than 29 tons of imported fish as premium Gulf snapper. (Side note: In June 2025, a federal judge dismissed a civil class-action lawsuit against the restaurant, citing a lack of “concrete injury” to diners who had unknowingly eaten mislabeled fish.)
Still, the story raised deeper questions. Despite the guilty plea and headlines, many loyal patrons continued to support the restaurant, even praising it online. The reaction revealed just how tangled local pride, identity, and food culture can be — especially in a community that’s faced decades of economic and environmental upheaval.
Once a thriving seafood hub, Biloxi’s fishing industry has been slowly eroded by imported competition, natural disasters, and declining prices. The Mary Mahoney’s case was just the beginning: genetic testing later showed that only 8 out of 44 local restaurants were accurately labeling their shrimp.
Still, there’s a hopeful side to the story: A new generation of chefs in Biloxi is pushing back. From gas station eateries like Bradley’s to James Beard–recognized restaurants like Vestige, local seafood is making a comeback.
→ Hungry for the truth? Read the FoodPrint story and listen to The FERN and Gravy’s podcast episode.
Photo by Shocking Blue, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.