Grant Awarded To UL-Lafayette Professor For Fishing Economic Study

A UL-Lafayette professor has been given a $250,000 grant to take an in depth look at how south central Louisiana seafood makes it from the sea to your dinner plate. Dr. Geoffrey Stewart got the grant from the US Department of Agriculture. Stewart says he’s looking to better understand that supply chain, and look for ways to improve its efficiency.

“The business side, the moving components that are necessary to get a boat in the water, get fish back into the ports, then get them out into the marketplace.”

The fishing industry is vital part of St. Mary, Vermilion, and Iberia Parishes, the areas of focus for the study. Stewart says despite its importance to the region, we still don’t have a comprehensive understanding of how the supply chain works, and where it can be improved.

“Are there economic development strategies that need to be establish to get people moving in that industry again, to help the existing businesses grow.

Part of the research will be bringing in veteran fishermen who can give firsthand accounts of just how the sausage gets made.

“So we can understand their perspectives, and the things that they are dealing with. What have they seen as this industry has evolved over time?”