The Louisiana Fisheries Forward Summit 2018, an expo for the state’s commercial fishing and seafood industry, will be held on Tuesday, March 6, 2018.

WHEN

Tuesday, March 6, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

WHERE

The Pontchartrain Center, 4545 Williams Blvd., Kenner, LA 70065.

ADMISSION

Free admission, and free lunch provided with advance registration. Registration will officially close on March 2nd.  Register at www.LaFisheriesForward.org/Summit/summit-participant-registration / and become eligible for a chance to win one of two door prizes–gift certificates for commercial fishing supplies valued at $2,500 and $1,000. Vendors may also sign up at this site. Space and resources may be limited, so attendees are encouraged to register early.

Hundreds of commercial fishers, seafood dealers, processors and other industry professionals will come together for a comprehensive day of workshops and a trade show. The free event is produced by Louisiana Sea Grant, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and the LSU AgCenter with support from industry partners.  This year’s event focuses on “Adapting to Change” with talks and demonstrations selected to provide participants with information to help move the industry forward.

The expo will feature educational presentations and hands-on demonstrations on all aspects of the industry and best practices. Highlights include:

• New safety and sustainability demonstrations.
• Business opportunity how-to’s; such as value-added products, e-commerce, micro-processing, packaging, direct marketing and more.
• U.S. Coast Guard demonstrations.
• The latest recipes and techniques, including cooking demos by certified local chefs.
• Forums for shrimp and oyster dealers as well as oyster harvesters.
• LDWF species and data updates, fisheries biology and management.
• The trade show features more than 50 booths showcasing innovative products, equipment and techniques, including marine electronics, scale calibration, vessel maintenance, onboard refrigeration, ice making and much more.
• Near-Term Diversion Impacts –

“Considering the Near-Term Fisheries Implications of Large Scale River Diversions” will be a 90- minute, moderated panel discussion in which resource and restoration managers will hear from representatives of four state-sanctioned fishery advisory task forces: the Louisiana Oyster Task Force, the Louisiana Shrimp Task Force, the Louisiana Crab Task Force, and the Louisiana Finfish Task Force.

The session will focus primarily on socioeconomic considerations of large-scale diversions, with the target audience being those summit attendees working in fisheries-dependent businesses, including commercial fishermen, charter operations, seafood docks and dealers, processors, and retailers.  Private sector input to the panel will be collected in real-time during the session through the use of electronic polling devices.

All elements of Summit are designed to enhance Louisiana’s dynamic commercial seafood industry, the nation’s second-largest.  Download the agenda for all the details here.