It’s National Poetry Month, so here’s a haiku in honor of the fruit of the sea:
From the net, a sound,
A pink mustache flutters, ”Merde”,
His fate: scampi-bound.
I hope you enjoyed that as much I did. It’s the beginning of brown shrimp season right now – and one of the very best ways you can support coastal restoration, not contribute to climate change, and be good to your body is to eat local, wild-caught shrimp. And it helps that it tastes better!
Keep reading to see the dates of the upcoming CPRA Community Conversations, a great shrimp recipe from our Community Cookbook, some resources for finding local shrimp, and a recap of our time at Coastal Day last month.
And don't forget: you're shrimply the best! |
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Alex Jiles
Senior Outreach Coordinator
National Wildlife Federation
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CPRA Community Conversations
CPRA is hosting discussions to gather and share diverse perspectives on the issues affecting our coast as a part of a commitment to rich community engagement.
Every six years, Louisiana's Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority (CPRA) releases the state's Coastal Master Plan, an expansive document that details projects and funding allocated for coastal restoration and guides coastal restoration work in the state of Louisiana.
Not only is our state's plan one-of-a-kind (Louisiana is the only state with an agency and plan this size dedicated to coastal restoration), but it is key to the work that protects our state, including our homes, livelihoods, culture, economy, and wildlife.
The Coastal Master Plan team is eager to hear from citizens like you who are invested in the well-being of our coastal communities and have on-the-ground expertise to contribute as they begin the 2029 Coastal Master Plan process. This is a free event with dinner provided - but please RSVP!
Below are all the Community Conversation dates and locations for this spring:
Tuesday, April 16th from 5pm – 7pm
Belle Chasse Auditorium
8398 LA-23, Belle Chasse, LA 70037
Wednesday, April 17th from 5pm – 7pm
Edward Dufresne Community Center
274 Judge Edward Dufresne Parkway, Luling, LA 70070
Tuesday, April 23rd from 5pm – 7pm
Grand Lake Elementary School
1039 LA-384, Grand Lake, LA 70607
Thursday, April 25th from 5pm - 7pm
Vermilion Parish Library
405 East Saint Victor Street Abbeville, LA 70510
Tuesday, April 30th from 5pm - 7pm
Warren J. Harang, Jr. Municipal Auditorium
310 N Canal Blvd, Thibodaux, LA 70301
Tuesday May 7th from 5pm – 7pm
Docville Farm
5124 E Street, E St. Bernard Hwy, Violet LA 70092
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Barbecue it, Boil it, Broil it, Bake it, Sauté it
Restore the Mississippi River Delta has our own Community Cookbook with recipes shared by our partners, like our friend Isaac Toups’ Drunken Shrimp, pictured above if you need shrimp dish inspiration.
But finding local, wild-caught seafood isn’t always easy. Labels in the grocery store can be misleading, and the packaging may be branded to look local even though the shrimp are imported. Not only does this hurt our local shrimpers, but it hurts our ecosystem. Here are some tips to help you access local shrimp and support Louisiana shrimpers:
- Visit a local shrimp lot – You can buy directly from the fisherman at your local lot, like the Westwego Shrimp Lot
- Look for the Louisiana Wild Caught Seafood Certification at grocery stores, or just check the origin of the shrimp on the label. This certification is still gaining ground; you can ask the Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board to lend fishermen more resources to sign up and promote this here.
- Louisiana Direct Seafood is an online resource created by SeaGrant and LSU Ag to help you buy directly from the source. Right now, this is only available if you’re in Delcambre. The resource is relatively new, so encourage any fishermen you know to sign up.
- Find a fisherman you like who offers delivery and utilize their website so you can skip the trip to the lot on boil day!
- You can often also follow your favorite fishermen via Instagram or Facebook and find out where they’ll be set up for the day. Part of the beauty of buying local is having a relationship with the person who caught your food.
Do you have your own favorite shrimp recipe or another Gulf Coast favorite? You can submit it to our Community Cookbook!
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Coastal Day Recap
The 14th anniversary of the BP oil spill lands on April 20th, and I’m awestruck by how much we’ve accomplished since then. So many of you showed up at this year's Coastal Day to talk to legislators and business leaders and to usher in the largest CPRA Annual Plan ever proposed with a shrimp boil and some networking at the capitol. It was fantastic to see so many come out to advocate for restoration at the Louisiana Legislature.Thank you, once again, to our dedicated coastal supporters for your tireless work to ensure we have a coast to come home to.
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Our Coast is Our Future
We know you, like most Louisianans, care deeply about our coast. Building on our momentum from Coastal Day, we’d like you to join us in making your dedication to our coast known to Louisiana lawmakers during the upcoming legislative session. Learn how you can help by clicking here.
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Save the Date!
Coastal Stewardship Awards Banquet
CRCL will be honoring award recipients at its annual CRCL Coastal Stewardship Awards event, which will be held in Baton Rouge on May 9, 2024. The event will include Louisiana seafood, local cuisine, beer and wine, and a silent auction, in addition to celebrating coastal stewards.
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