The Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board was created by the state Legislature in 1984 to support our vast historical commercial fisheries industry. Although seafood had grown from a subsistence economy to a world class operation, it was challenged by dramatic changes in the marketplace and in the environment. The board works with the seafood community to help develop products, explore new markets, and build the Louisiana seafood brand in an effort to increase the economic value of our seafood products.
The commodities board was mandated to strengthen and revitalize the Louisiana seafood industry, to identify threats and execute strategic plans to meet them head on and overcome them. The Board is composed of 15 members appointed by the Governor, and each represents a sector of the industry: harvesters, processors/wholesalers, restauranteurs/retailers, fisheries resource managers, public health officers, and marketing specialists.
The Board’s operating budget is derived from license sales to Louisiana commercial fishermen and seafood wholesalers/retailers, as well as state and federal grants.