Gulf Coast Fisheries Initiative
The fisheries community in the Gulf Coast region has been decimated by repeated hurricanes as well as the April 2010 BP oil spill. In May 2008, Seedco Financial opened the Southeast Louisiana Fisheries Assistance Center (FAC) in Belle Chasse, the first comprehensive one-stop facility for technical, business, and financial assistance for fisheries in the United States. The center also provides help with marketing development, translation services, and BP claims assistance.
Our Southeast Louisiana Fisheries Assistance Center has served hundreds of fishermen and other fishing industry workers since 2008, offering 124 loans totaling more than $6.6 million. Through this initiative, we offer these accompanying services as well as much-needed financing:
- We help small businesses package, analyze, and calculate claims. In addition, Seedco Financial offers an outreach program with in-office information sessions about the Gulf Coast Claims Facility claims process.
- We produce the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Resource Guide, a regularly updated guide of organizations and services that provide support to businesses and individuals affected by the oil spill.
- We provide housing counseling through our partnership with A Shared Initiative, offering foreclosure prevention to our fishermen
- Through partners such as the LSBDC, Seedco Financial is able to provide translation services to large limited English speaking Vietnamese-American population in the region.
Since the oil spill Seedco Financial has received funding from the Walton Family Foundation, Greater New Orleans Foundation, Department of Children and Family Services, blue moon fund and Prudential Foundation to help implement the Gulf Coast Fisheries Relief and Recovery Project to prepare commercial fisherman for the full impact of the BP oil spill. With the support of these funds, we are:
- Expanding services delivered through the Southeast Louisiana Fisheries Assistance Center,
- Providing assistance with Gulf Coast Claims Facility packages ,
- Collaborating with other organizations to increase services offered to the fishermen, bait shops, dock owners, seafood processors, and others in the fishery industry.
- Facilitating access to disaster recovery resources and intensive business continuity assistance.
Contact us for more information on FAC or for assistance filing a claims package at Louisiana@seedco.org or call us at 504-392-2454.
