News

New Grant Program to Enhance and Expand Alternative Oyster Culture

Louisiana Sea Grant (LSG) has received a $3 million grant from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) to expand alternative oyster culture (AOC) throughout the coast. AOC – also known as alternative oyster culture – is when oysters are grown…

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Comment Period Extended for LA Oyster Management and Rehabilitation Strategic Plan Draft

hands holding single oyster, with oysters in background

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is extending the public comment period to December 11 for its draft of the “Louisiana Oyster Management and Rehabilitation Strategic Plan.” The original deadline was December 4. LDWF is seeking public comment from all coastal stakeholders. The 2019 oyster stock assessment indicates that Louisiana…

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October Gulf Council Update

red snapper

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council met virtually on October 26-28, 2020. The Council began by populating its Council Committee Roster for October 2020 – August 2021. The meeting agenda was modified to allow Council members, fishermen, and the broader stakeholder community time to prepare for the anticipated landfall…

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CARES Act Application Deadline Extended to November 23

Louisiana commercial fishing

Due to the impacts of hurricanes Laura and Delta, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is extending the application deadline by a month for the $14.6 million in financial assistance available to Louisiana’s fishing industry hurt financially by the COVID-19 pandemic. The original deadline was 11:59 p.m. Oct….

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Louisiana Sea Grant’s Ocean Commotion Online

Ocean Commotion logo, for illustration only

The first Ocean Commotion was held in 1998 at LSU’s Field House. About 2,458 students and 374 teachers and chaperones spent that day exploring exhibits about some of our region’s coastal resources. Twenty-two years later, Louisiana Sea Grant (LSG) is hosting its first virtual Ocean Commotion due to COVID-19. LSG…

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USDA Supports Some of U.S. Seafood Industry Impacted by Retaliatory Tariffs

school of tuna in blue water

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide approximately $530 million to support the U.S. seafood industry and fishermen impacted by retaliatory tariffs from foreign governments. The funding will be provided through the Seafood Trade Relief Program and funded through the Commodity…

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LDWF to Begin Accepting Applications for $14.6 Million CARES Act Funds

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will soon begin accepting applications for $14.6 million in financial assistance that will be available to Louisiana fishermen and others in the industry who have been financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds are part of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and…

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New Initiative Aims to Help Wholesale Dealers Find New Markets for Louisiana Seafood

Photo of women processing and packaging shrimp at a factory

In an effort to improve the economic sustainability of the State’s seafood industry in light of COVID-19, the Louisiana Direct Seafood initiative is adding a wholesale directory to its website (LouisianaDirectSeafood.com/wholesale). Originally developed to help coastal fishermen and processors connect with consumers for fresh, wild-caught, Louisiana seafood products, the addition…

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Revised Reporting Requirements for Federal Seafood Dealers in Portions of TX and LA

birds in flight along Louisiana coastline

Hurricane Laura made landfall near Cameron, Louisiana, as a Category 4 hurricane on August 27, 2020.  NOAA Fisheries has determined that catastrophic conditions exist in the following Texas counties and Louisiana Parishes: Orange, Jefferson, Chambers, Harris, and Galveston Counties, and Saint Tammany, Orleans, Saint Bernard, Plaquemines, Jefferson, Saint Charles, Lafourche, Terrebonne,…

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