Restaurants Get 1-2 Punch

Spencer Collier Investigative Reporter Restaurants in Alabama have two fish labeling laws headed their way.

by Tiffany Craig

Published: Mon, July 20, 2009 - 6:20 pm CST Last Updated: Mon, July 20, 2009 - 7:50 pm CST

Seafood restaurants in Alabama are getting ready for the one-two punch from the new fish labeling laws.

On August 1 2009, restaurants will be required to identify whether catfish is domestic or imported. The information will help consumers know what's really on their plates.

In January 2010, the Seafood Labeling Law takes effect. It will require restaurants to add a sign or change menus letting customers know they have a right to ask where that product comes from.

Oysterella's Seafood Restaurant GM Jeremy Weaver says the new laws will be tough for business. Weaver tells us that the cost of selling domestic fish is higher than imports and that cost will have to be passed on to consumers. "It's kinda been put on our plate as here it is. Now you've got restaurants scrambling on how is this gonna work and what is the backlash when I'm not serving something that's a domestic product."

The state health department will be the agency enforcing the new laws. The penalties range from a warning and up to a 1-thousand dollar fine.

If you want to read the catfish labeling law, click here.

If you would like to check out the seafood labeling law, click here.

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cork Says:

Tue, Jul 21, 2009 at 5:55 pm

It’s time we started monitoring the food that is coming in from overseas. It could be coming from some fish farm where there is all kinds of contamination in the water or the rivers I do understand sewage goes into many of these water ways and don’t think a little human waste isn’t being eaten by the fish. By the way we love going to Oysterella’s great food. Saw you Mike having lunch on the news video.

rolltide33 Says:

Tue, Jul 21, 2009 at 7:30 am

I rarely see much of a crowd there except on the weekends. I heard that they changed their menu and dropped the prices. I think Felix’s will always be tough to beat. If you are eating catfish, does it really matter where it’s from?

BamaBob Says:

Mon, Jul 20, 2009 at 7:00 pm

Some of that foreign fish is pretty good. Back when the first big DNA sting happened, I thought I really loved grouper almondine. Turned out it was a Chinese catfish or something. Didn’t change the taste of the fish.

I went to the place in this report once and it had the same kind of crowd the day I was there. Is that place doing any business at all?