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NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – The Louisiana blue crab is now certifiably sustainable. This means we can continue to enjoy consuming this crustacean for years to come without the threat of extinction in our oceans and on our dinner plates.

The Louisiana blue crab fishery is the first to go through the process and receive the G.U.L.F. RFM certification, or, Audubon Nature Institute’s Gulf United for Fisheries and Responsible Fisheries Management certificate.

Fisheries certified under the G.U.L.F umbrella will gain credibility in the marketplace as well now that grocery stores like Walmart, Whole Foods, Kroger, Winn Dixie and Publix have developed strict sourcing policies that require sustainability assurances before purchasing seafood.

More than a quarter of all blue crab harvested in the United States comes from Louisiana waters, making it the country’s largest blue crab fishery.