News - State
Seafood officials: naming-rights deal smells fishy
Posted: Jan 30, 2012 9:54 AM by AP
HOUMA, La. (AP) - Some trade groups and industry officials say they disapprove of a proposal being considered by the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board to buy the naming rights to the New Orleans Arena.
They tell The Courier it would use about 17 percent of the $30 million BP PLC gave to repair Gulf seafood's damaged reputation after the Deepwater Horizon spill.
Executive director, Ewell Smith, says it could help Louisiana seafood and restaurants statewide.
But board member Alan Gibson, who works at at Tideland Seafood Co. in Dulac, says the money was to rebuild and promote the entire industry - not "celebrity sports millionaires or New Orleans."
Board member Stephen Minvielle is also director of the Louisiana Crawfish Farmers Association. He says the crawfish group's board unanimously opposes the idea.
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