“Local Restaurants NOT Serving Fresh Gulf Shrimp” This is Something to Think About 01.29.25

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“Local Restaurants NOT Serving Fresh Gulf Shrimp”

Bill Bunkley’s “This Is Something to Think About”

Air Date Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Bill Bunkley with Something to Think About

One of the benefits of living on the Florida Gulf Coast is our access to fresh Gulf seafood.

Or is it?

For the record, I’m a huge fan of fried shrimp and shrimp pasta. Also, Gulf Grouper is my top seafood pick.

However, a recent report indicates that 96% of Tampa Bay restaurants serve imported shrimp, not Florida Gulf shrimp. More alarming is the fact that those restaurants imply the contrary.

SeaD Consulting found that the shrimp offered by 44 area restaurants is not from the Gulf of America. Only two restaurants feature locally caught shrimp: Tampa’s Salt Shack and St. Petersburg’s Still Water Tavern.  

While most restaurants do not specifically mislead about fresh Gulf shrimp on their menus, their décor and location might suggest otherwise. 

So be sure to call ahead and confirm where a restaurant’s shrimp and seafood are sourced from.

Bill Bunkley is a 19-year veteran Salem Media talk show host based in Tampa. The Bill Bunkley Show airs weekdays across central Florida from 3 to 6 pm. Bill is also President of the Florida Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, which serves as the legislative consultant to the Florida Baptist State Convention (Southern Baptist Convention Churches), among other churches and entities. He has served as the legislative consultant to the Florida Baptist State Convention for the last 29 years at the state capitol in Tallahassee. By the Grace of his Lord Jesus, he is today a cancer survivor diagnosed in 2018 with AML Leukemia, having successfully undergone a bone marrow transplant that same year. His wife is Toni, son is Zac, and they attend Idlewild Baptist Church. 

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