An event in St. Bernard Parish on Tuesday will teach fishers how to leverage their knowledge of local waterways to supplement their incomes through ecotourism, coastal restoration and disaster recovery. The workshop also will create a database with attendees' information to connect them with coastal restoration and disaster work as it becomes available.
The "Working on the Water" event, envisioned as annual event geared toward fishers across coastal Louisiana, will include a keynote address by state Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain, along with presentations from Louisiana and Main Sea Grant agents, and various financial, coastal restoration, tourism, government contract and workforce development experts, among others.
The workshop, which is free and includes a complimentary lunch, was conceived following the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill when the St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation commissioned a study into economic opportunities available for those whose livelihoods were impacted by the disaster.
"Given the volatility of the economy and the hurdles we have had to overcome — from oil spills and hurricanes, to coastal erosion and changing ecosystems — it is important that our fishermen have the tools necessary to adapt and prosper," said Joey DiFatta, the economic development foundation's chairman.
The event is being help from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Arlene Meraux River Observation Center on The Arlene and Joseph Meraux Charitable Foundation's Docville Farm at 5128 E. St. Bernard Hwy. in Violet. Interested participants should arrive at 7:30 a.m. to register.
For more information, call 504.345.9756 or visit workingonthewater.com.
One of the economic development foundation-commissioned study's recommendations was building up ecotourism to provide those already working on the waterfront with an opportunity to use the skills and resources they already have at hand to generate additional income.
And in the fall of 2013, in an effort to reach individuals, the St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation, the Regional Planning Commission, and Nunez Community College began planning the Tuesday workshop.
"Ecotourism, coastal restoration, and disaster response translates to big business," said Ed Shedlock, the assistant director of Nunez's Entrepreneurship Center. "The fishing tradition in St. Bernard coupled with our unique geography and environment presents a large, untapped economic development opportunity for fishermen and anyone interested in working on the water."
See the draft pamphlet for the event: