Fresh Direct Seafood and Industry
Programs in Louisiana
Louisiana Direct Seafood Academy
March 1, 2012
Jon Bell, PhD
LSU Ag Center
Louisiana Sea Grant Program
Overview of 4 Topics
Fresh Product License (FPL)
FPL & Seafood Product Safety
Developing Seafood Programs in Louisiana
• Louisiana Wild Certified Shrimp (LWCS)
• Electronic Traceability
• Sustainability
• LDWF Seafood University
Fresh Product License
LDWF
• Cost and Record Keeping
LDHH
• Allowances & Permits
LDAF
• Scale Certification
Sales
• Records, Taxes
Fresh Product License
LDWF
Allows commercial fisherman to sell own
catch directly to consumer (vessel, home,
car)
• $20 resident; $120 nonresident
Secondary FPL allows spouse to sell catch
directly to consumer
• $5
MUST COMPLETE & SUBMIT TRIP TICKETS
Fresh Product License
LDHH
Responsible for protecting safety &
wholesomeness of seafood (all food)
sold to consumers in Louisiana
• Controlled through GMP (Sanitation)
and HACCP (Food Hazards & Safety)
regulations required of seafood
processors (Food Sanitary Code)
Fresh Product License
LDHH
Seafood Processors (Wholesale/Retail
Dealers License to LDWF) need a Permit
to Operate from LDHH
• Multiple requirements, including
physical address
• Will Not permit vessel, home, vehicle
Fresh Product License
LDHH
So What Does This Mean?
• Using FPL, commercial fishermen can
sell only WHOLE Seafood directly to
consumers
• You can pop heads, gut fish to prepare
for holding on the vessel if you sell to a
licensed Wholesale Dealer (processor)
• But NOT directly to a consumer
Fresh Product License
LDHH
• IF You DO Want to sell headless or
peeled shrimp, or gutted fish or fish
fillets, or picked crab meat, you have
to get a Wholesale Dealers License
from LDWF, and Permit to Operate
from LDHH.
• And you can’t do this on your boat or
at home.
Fresh Product License
LDHH (225) 342 - 7773
• Thus, in addition to the other License
and Permit, you will need a
processing facility, and become a
seafood processor. Which requires
compliance with GMP and HACCP
regulations.
• Has been done before. If sounds like
a good plan, Call LDHH
Fresh Product License
LDHH (225) 342 - 7773
So What Does This Mean?
• Also, using FPL, commercial fishermen
can NOT sell oysters directly to
consumers
• Does not comply with Molluscan Shellfish
Program, Vibrio Control Plan requirements
LDHH rules based on responsibility of
seafood safety control and consumer
protection
Fresh Product License
LDAF – (225) 922 - 1341
• Responsible for ensuring accuracy of
weight of sales for all products (food,
gas, etc.) to consumers in Louisiana
• Since fishermen are selling seafood to
consumers with FPL, your scale must
be annually inspected and certified for
accuracy.
• $35/year for up to 1,000 pounds
Fresh Product License
Sales – Records
Sales records must:
• Be kept in English and for 3 Years!
• Include Quantity, Species, Date caught
• FPL Name and License Number
• Noted that seafood was sold directly
to consumer
• Consumer Name NOT Needed
Fresh Product License
Sales – Taxes
Most Parishes require that fishermen
selling their catch to consumers register
with the parish to pay sale tax
For more details, contact:
• Local Parish
• Dept. Revenue, Sales Tax Division
• (225) 219 - 7356
FPL & Seafood Product Safety
Commercial Fishermen and & FPL are
responsible to control their seafood
product safety and protect their customers.
• Business, moral, and legal obligation
and responsibility
• Accomplished selling whole seafood
directly to the consumer without
complex regulation
FPL & Seafood Product Safety
•
•
•
•
KEEP IT CLEAN
GET IT COLD QUICKLY
KEEP IT COLD
SELL ONLY HIGH QUALITY, WHOLESOME
SEAFOOD
• NOT TIRED OR SPOILED
FPL & Seafood Product Safety
Vessel Sanitation
• Keep surfaces and equipment clean
• Rinse after each drag and handling
• Thoroughly clean up after each day
• Clean and sanitize deck, hold, and
equipment after trip is complete, and
seafood is sold and unloaded
• Control rust and keep painted and sharp
BOAT IS FIRST CONSUMER IMPRESSION
FPL & Seafood Product Safety
Chilling & Temperature Control
• Thoroughly Rinse Seafood
• Chill Seafood Rapidly
• Slush Ice or RSW much faster than ice
• Store at Ice or Frozen temperatures for
shrimp and fish
• Store cool and alive for crabs
• Sell Seafood at storage temperatures for
consumer control during drive home
FPL & Seafood Product Safety
• Sell consumers only high quality seafood
•
that has a long shelf life ahead of it
• Do NOT sell any seafood that was
poorly handled or has been on the
boat too long
Because of the Direct Sale, High Quality
and Wholesomeness are your controls
for seafood product safety
FPL SUMMARY
• Using the Fresh Product License is an
opportunity that LDWF has provided the
commercial fishermen in Louisiana to
selling your whole and unprocessed
catch directly to consumers and improve
your profitability and viability.
FPL SUMMARY
• Providing High Quality, sanitary, wellhandled and chilled seafood directly to
the consumer is your control for seafood
product safety and to maintain this
business improvement opportunity.
Louisiana Wild Certified Shrimp
Program (LWCS)
2 Formats under development
Authenticity Program
• Program document submitted, under
review and comment
• Indicates that packaged seafood is
harvested, landed, processed in La
• Seafood harvested by La licensed
fishers is in program
Louisiana Wild Certified Shrimp
Program (LWCS)
Authenticity Program (cont.)
• Voluntary for Docks, Processors
• Must keep La seafood separated
• Trip Tickets, Invoices
• Comply with existing regulations
• Can use program Logo on products
• Marketing & Promotion support
• LSPMB funding
Louisiana Wild Certified Shrimp
Program (LWCS)
Premium Program
• Earlier stage development
• Includes Authenticity requirements
• Voluntary for Fishers, Docks, Processors
• Program Training in Best Practices
• Required product specifications
• Premium Logo on products
• LSPMB Marketing & Promotion support
Electronic Traceability
• Builds on Trip Tickets to control and
•
•
•
•
•
track La seafood through distribution
Development through Gulf States MFC
Pilot Project with Gulf oyster industry
• Harvester-Dealer-Shipping-Customer
Can include additional data & sensors
• Times, Temperatures
Can support Marketing efforts
Differentiation in the marketplace
Sustainability
• La (LDWF) and Gulf (GSMFC) efforts
• Potential partnering
• Audubon Institute
• 3rd Party Verifiers
• Promote & provide Buyers information
• Data, assurance of responsible
fisheries management
• Support differentiation in the marketplace
• Important to, required by, industry buyers
LDWF Seafood University
• Designed to serve as a continuing
education tool and resource
• Initial development of structure, approach
• Support industry in a positive, innovative
and collaborative manner
• Provide useful & desired information
• Successful examples exist in other
states & countries to support fisheries
General Courses for Fishermen

Equipment BMPS
-Electronic Traceability
-No Cost Program
-Company/Business Benefit(s) (Product Differentiation)

Gear Technology

Management (Fisheries Science)

Sustainability
-Maximizing Company/Business Benefit(s)
-Compliance

Seafood Quality (LWSCP)
-Domestic And Foreign Market Opportunities (Department Of Commerce)
Oyster
Fishermen
Shrimp
Fishermen
Docks And
Processors
Crab
Fishermen
Fin Fish
Fishermen
•Business
Management
Courses
•Insurance
•Documentation
•Vessel Safety
Courses
•Fishing/Boating
Regulation And
Requirement
Courses
Seedco
Financial
LDWF
Enforcement
Coast Guard
Higher
Education
•LDWF (LWSCP)
•Delgado/Nunez
•LSU Ag Center
•Sea Grant
Summary
The goal of this presentation was to provide
a better understanding of the usefulness of
the Fresh Products License.
As well as a quick overview of LDWF
projects that are intended to support
Louisiana fisheries and their viability.
Questions or Comments?