BATON ROUGE — A new law that takes effect Aug. 1 penalizes commercial seafood processors and distributors that mix domestic and foreign seafood and sell it as locally sourced.

The new law, Rep. Tim Kerner's HB 857, was signed into law on Thursday by Gov. Jeff Landry at an event in Jean Lafitte. 

Kerner's law closes a loophole that allowed comingled seafood to be sold as domestic.

If state officials have reason to believe that a commercial seafood processor comingles its foreign and domestic seafood and sells it as domestic, they can test it to ensure its authenticity, the law says. If it is found not to be domestic, a fine of up to $50,000 can be levied.