However, he said he recognizes the region has an ongoing image problem, and fishermen are having a tough time selling their catch even after federal scientists deemed it safe for consumption.
"We're not trying to hide anything," Locke said during a tour of a federal seafood testing lab in Mississippi.
"The seafood is safe," he said. "We've just got to get the word out ... I have confidence, the president has confidence, the restaurants and fishermen have confidence. We just need to keep repeating that message."
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