Rural Southeast Louisiana

Although there is a thriving commercial fishing economy all along the Gulf Coast of the United States, Southeast Louisiana is the cradle of the American seafood industry. For some seafood products like shrimp and oysters, there are more harvesters and harvested product here than anywhere else in the country. This area is economically dependent on the seafood industry for jobs and support of ancillary businesses like welders, shipbuilders, supply stores, etc. It also plays a significant part of the culinary supply chain of Louisiana, and even the world.

Fisheries and Related Industries
The fisheries community in these areas was decimated by the hurricanes and there was no entity addressing their needs to stabilize and rebuild. Seedco Financial stepped into this role to coordinate services, providing grants or loans and technical assistance to more than 500 fishermen.

Impacts

Since 2006, Seedco Financial has facilitated access to $8.2 million in grants to 489 small business owners in the fisheries industry and approved 14 loans for $1.55 million to commercial fishermen and dock owners.
Seedco Financial has opened the Southeast Louisiana Fisheries AssistanceCenter in Belle Chasse, serving Plaquemines, St. Bernard, Orleans, andJefferson parishes. The Center is the first comprehensive one-stop center for technical and financial assistance for fisheries in the United States.