The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced on Thursday the launch of the the state's very own authorized brand of wild seafood.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced on Thursday the launch of the Louisiana Certified Seafood program, an official brand establishing the authenticity of seafood caught, processed and packaged in the state of Louisiana for both customers and food and seafood distributors.
"Consumers are paying more attention to their seafood choices, particularly where it's from and how it's sourced. People are demanding transparency in the seafood industry, so we're giving it to them," says LDWF Assistant Secretary Randy Pausina in a press release from the department's website.
As outlined in the release, the program's goals are:
- Develop a nationally recognized brand distinguishing Louisiana seafood from seafoods of other origins;
- Increase and certify consumer confidence that branded seafood comes directly from the Gulf of Mexico and is properly landed, processed and packaged in Louisiana
- Promote and market all seafood and affiliated participants donning the logo.
The program, erected from recommendations made by the Louisiana Shrimp Task Force, is a joint effort from the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, the LSU AgCenter, the Louisiana SeaGrant, the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board and leaders in the fisheries industry.
According to the LDWF's press release:
The Louisiana Seafood Certification program targets Louisiana fishermen, processors, dock owners, grocers and restaurants, to showcase and more importantly brand Louisiana seafood. Across the globe, people are familiar with "geographically-based" branding including Maine Lobster and Idaho Potatoes. In the coming years, we hope Louisiana wild-caught shrimp, oyster, crabs and finfish will be synonymous with our great state and the Louisiana Certified Seafood Brand.
The program is entirely voluntary for docks, processors, dealer, grocers and restaurants and qualifies all commercially licensed fishermen automatically. Applicants must complete an online training course found at Certified.LouisianaSeafood.com.