BP to fund Louisiana seafood testing, coastal restoration

Oil giant BP will provide $48 million for seafood marketing and testing and $140 million for coastal restoration work under a deal with Louisiana officials unveiled Monday.

The funding announced in New Orleans includes, according to Gov. Bobby Jindal’s (R) office, $18 million over three years for gauging the effects of oil, dispersants and “other spill-related impacts" on seafood.

Meanwhile, $30 million over three years will be provided to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation for the marketing of Louisiana’s seafood, his office said. The commitments also include $140 million for sand berm and barrier-island restoration, Jindal’s office said, alongside $30 million to market Louisiana as a tourist destination.

“Our most fundamental goals for revitalizing Louisiana have been to restore our coast and certify that our Louisiana seafood is safe — and today, we are marking tremendous progress toward those goals. Louisiana is home to some of the richest and most diverse seafood in the world, and with today’s announcement, and the hard work of those in the Louisiana seafood industry, we know our seafood will continue to be the best in the world,” Jindal said in a prepared statement.