Local shrimpers, restaurant owners and seafood retailers can help shape a $125,000 federal marketing plan for Fernandina Beach's shrimp industry at a public meeting Oct. 15.

The Northeast Florida Regional Council will host the session at 5:30 p.m. at the MLK Center Auditorium, 1200 Elm St. The meeting is part of an initiative called "Catch the Flavor: Promoting Northeast Florida's Shrimp Brand," funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Local Food Promotion Program, according to the Nassau County Chamber of Commerce.

Federal grant funds two-year marketing push

The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service awarded the regional council a $100,000 grant in March, with a required $25,000 cost-share contribution, according to federal grant records. The grant was one of 37 awarded nationally from a program fund totaling about $11.1 million.

The project is a 24-month marketing effort that will identify new market opportunities for Northeast Florida shrimp, develop a marketing plan, design promotional materials and implement the strategy. The finalized plan will incorporate community feedback.

Community input will shape the final plan

The council has already gathered initial input from shrimpers and restaurant operators in an earlier research phase, the chamber said. The upcoming meeting opens the process to a wider audience, including hospitality workers and residents.

The chamber encouraged shrimpers, restaurant owners and hospitality workers to attend. Jennifer Bryla, the council's community development program manager, is listed as a contact for the project.

Shrimp industry carries economic, political weight

The Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival alone draws more than 150,000 visitors to Fernandina Beach each year. Scott Inglis, the festival's chairman, called it "the largest and most impactful annual event in Nassau County" in a March news release, citing an estimated $15 million in local economic impact.

The federal investment also arrives amid broader political attention to the domestic shrimp industry. U.S. Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, whose district includes Nassau County, said in a May 14 post on X that U.S. tax dollars have helped fund foreign shrimp operations, undercutting local fleets and pushing family businesses to the brink. Bean was commenting on House passage of the Save Our Shrimpers Act.

No follow-up meeting dates or plan-release timelines have been announced.