Oysters being unloaded at the Empire dock a week before the coronavirus brought everything to a standstill. Photo: Ed Lallo/Lallo Photography
by Gulf Seafood News Staff
The Louisiana Oyster Task Force, through the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, has enlisted Ed Lallo and Newsroom Ink to assist in their ongoing effort to tell the story of the of the Louisiana Gulf oyster, the people dedicated to ensuring its sustainability, as well as its importance to the State’s economy, culture and culinary cuisine.
Oyster Task Force chair Mitch Jurisich prepares their booth at the recent Fisheries Forward Summit. Photo: Ed Lallo/Lallo Photography
“We know the work of Lallo since the days of the BP Oil Spill,” said Mitch Jurisich, chairman of the task force. “At that time his he and his partners built Louisiana Seafood News for the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board. It got our story out at a time when nobody was listening. Since then he has told the story of our oysters and other Gulf seafood on Gulf Seafood News. He is familiar with the issues facing the future of our industry.”
Newsroomk Ink is the originator of the corporate online newsroom staffed by professional journalists. First used as a crisis and informational tool for the Imperial Sugar Company after an explosion at their Port Wentworth, GA plant killed 14 employees, the company later built and staffed Louisiana Seafood News as a crisis communications tool during the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.
The Oyster Task Force is comprised state granted private oyster leaseholders, processors, and representatives from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the Governor’s office and other state agencies. It is funded from a portion of the proceeds from oyster tag sales through the State’s Oyster Development Account.
According to the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, 70% of the oysters caught in the U.S. are from the Gulf Coast. The Bayou State’s commercial oyster industry accounts for approximately 4,000 jobs and has an economic impact of $317 million annually.
Jurisich says the contract could not have come at a more opportune time.
“Initially we had a list of topics that needed to be addressed over the coming year,” said Jurisich. “That has all changed with the coronavirus. It is like the spill all over again. No one is listening to how it has completely shut down the oyster industry, as well as almost all Gulf seafood.”
Ed Lallo, CEO of Newsroom Ink and Editorial Director of the Gulf Seafood Foundation’s newsroom, on location at a Gulf claim harvest at Cedar Key, FL. Photo: Gulf Seafood News
“Louisiana oystermen are the original environmentalist,” said Lallo, CEO of Newsroom Ink and Editorial Director for Gulf Seafood News. “Spending hundreds of thousands of dollars from their own pocket yearly, they continuously build artificial reefs so oysters can grow. These are dedicated Gulf fishermen who want to ensure the survival of the industry, not just because it is economically important to the identity of Louisiana, but because it is significant to the survival of the rapidly disappearing coastal environment.”
According to Lallo the industry faces a number of issues that will be addressed over the course of the contract. One of the most important is a proposed freshwater diversion by the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) in an effort to rebuild the coastline. The diversion would adversely affecting both state oyster grounds, and privately held leases.
The Louisiana oyster industry accounts for approximately 4,000 jobs and has an economic impact of $317 million annually. Photo: Ed Lallo/Lallo Photograpy
“The Louisiana Oyster Task Force has an important story to tell. I want to introduce the faces of the industry to residents of the state, as well as the world,” said Lallo. “Oysters are a way of life for Louisiana, as well as across the Gulf. Who can say no to a po-boy filled with fried oysters, or gumbo, or the oyster dressing stuffed into the Thanksgiving turkey.”
Lallo says Gulf Seafood News, the online newsroom for the Gulf Seafood Foundation, will be used as the delivery source for the articles. With a mailing list of more than 3,500; it reaches subscribers, local and national media, as well Gulf legislators in the statehouses and on Capitol Hill. It has become the trusted source for news about Gulf seafood.
“We look forward to providing the Louisiana Oyster Task Force the use of our news site,” said Jim Gossen, president of the Gulf Seafood Foundation. “This is exactly why Gulf Seafood News exists, to serve all aspects of our important industry, especially now in this time of crisis.”
“The Louisiana Oyster Task Force has been a leader in environmental issues, product safety and marketing,” Lallo said. “Over the next year I look forward to sharing these stories so that everyone can have a better understanding of the importance of the Gulf oyster.”
