The Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board (LSPMB) on Monday that announced it is in Washington, D.C., this week pushing for ongoing, extensive testing of Gulf seafood, and for helping to communicate the test results to consumers.
LSPMB will be joined by seafood industry leaders from Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida to tell the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration, as well as legislators. They are pushing for rigorous testing to remain a top priority for years to come so consumers will be constantly reassured that Gulf seafood is safe to eat.
“It’s human nature for people to think that everything’s all right, once the cameras turn off and the media goes away,” said Ewell Smith, LSPMB executive director. “Folks in D.C. may think things are all right here in the Gulf. But based on the study we just did on consumers attitudes toward seafood, things are not all right. We want to make sure federal agencies understand how important their role is when it comes to ensuring safety and giving confidence to the American people.”
