Louisiana Catch and Cook

There’s nothing better than the smell of fresh catch sizzling on the grill after a long day on the water. But not all fishermen or alligator hunters like to cook their own catch and sometimes they don’t know what to do with their catch after a fishing or alligator hunting trip. So, why not leave it to the professionals?

Louisiana Catch and Cook provides fishermen and alligator hunters the opportunity to enjoy dining on their own catch-of-the-day prepared by a professional chef only hours after coming off the water. Through this program, permitted establishments may prepare and serve fish or alligator caught by licensed fishermen or alligator hunters. Any retail food establishment wishing to participate in the program can apply for a free permit issued by LDWF. Participating retail food establishments may charge the guest any amount they choose for preparing the item. Fishermen and alligator hunters should contact permitted retail food establishments well in advance of scheduled fishing or hunting trips to make arrangements. Rules and regulations, penalties, terms, conditions and requirements apply to those food establishments, fishermen, and alligator hunters participating in the program.

Participant Rules

1. The recreational fisherman or alligator hunter who brings the fish or alligator meat in for preparation must sign an Assumption of Risk Agreement. The completed, dated and signed form must be maintained at the retail food establishment for no less than 90 days. The establishment should provide the completed forms to state health officers upon request.
2. The retail food establishment must receive only fish or alligator meat that has been cleaned, filleted, placed in clean, food-grade, single-service packaging, and properly refrigerated.
3. The retail food establishment must inspect the fish or alligator for freshness and proper receiving temperature.
4. The fish or alligator must be properly labeled with the date, time, and name of the recreational fisherman or alligator hunter.
5. The retail food establishment must store, prepare, and otherwise handle the fish or alligator separately from products being prepared for and served to the general public.
6. The retail food establishment must store, prepare and otherwise handle the fish or alligator in compliance with provisions of the state sanitary code.
7. The retail food establishment must prepare and serve the fish to the recreational fisherman or alligator to the alligator hunter or any person in the fisherman or hunter’s party within four hours of receiving the fish or alligator.
8. Containers, preparation tables, cutting boards, utensils, and other food preparation equipment used to prepare and serve the fish or alligator must be properly cleaned and sanitized in accordance with provisions of the state sanitary code prior to use preparing foods to serve to the general public.
9. The fish or alligator must be served directly to the recreational fisherman or alligator hunter or any person in the fisherman or hunter’s party immediately upon the completion of cooking and must not be served to the general public.

Resources

• Assumption of Risk Agreement
• Notice of Intent establishing Louisiana Catch and Cook
• Act No. 577 of the 2014 Regular Legislative Session (establishing Louisiana Catch and Cook)