NC H1709

Establishes the North Carolina Seafood Marketing Grant Program within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to provide funding for local marketing programs that promote increased purchase and consumption of North Carolina seafood.

Requires grant applicants to be local marketing programs that mandate participating businesses purchase North Carolina seafood for at least 10% of their seafood needs, with optional higher recognition levels for greater purchases.

Mandates that all program participants provide customers with information about the countries of origin of their seafood products.

Appropriates $500,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for fiscal year 2010-2011 to implement the grant program.

Becomes effective July 1, 2010.