Buying Alabama-caught fish will get easier this fall, thanks to new law

Many of us enjoy chowing down on some Gulf-caught seafood—so much so, Orange Beach hosts a yearly Shrimp Festival. But how do we know the fish we’re cooking up is caught locally?

Thanks to a new law, that information will be front and center of all fish-buying ventures. House Bill 66 sets new labeling requirements for all seafood sold in Alabama.

House Bill 66

The new law tackles two types of labeling—country of origin and aquaculture (how the fish is caught).

Previously, only grocery stores, supermarkets and club warehouses were required to label a country of origin for fish. That’s because of a federal law, the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. Restaurants and in-store delis at grocery stores are exempt from the federal law.

House Bill 66 fills in the restaurant and deli loophole, applying those labeling standards to all seafood sold in Alabama.

You’ll start to see the labels on restaurant menus in October.

The bill was primarily written by Rep. Chip Brown, R-Mobile. It was co-sponsored by Sens. David Sessions, R-Grand Bay, and Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro. Governor Ivey signed it into law in May.

Dive into the law.

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