Tag Archives: Cameron
Louisiana LNG Could Be ‘Nail in the Coffin’ for Local Fishermen
Phillip Dyson has been a commercial fisherman in Cameron, Louisiana for 49 years. His father fished before him, and his son and grandson also fish, shrimp, and oyster in the brackish waters where the Calcasieu River empties out into the Gulf of Mexico. Even his great-grandson is getting into the family trade. “Always in Cameron,” Dyson said. Even in a state famous for its seafood, Cameron once stood out. A few decades ago, Cameron was the largest producer of seafood in the entire country, hauling in hundreds of millions of pounds of fish, shrimp, and oysters each year. But those days are long gone. Cameron Parish is still home to a dwindling number of commercial fishermen. Two decades ago, there were around 250 commercial fishing vessels in Cameron. “We’re down to about 16 now,” Commercial fishermen in southwest Louisiana say that the growth of LNG is putting them out of business. They are particularly outraged at Venture Global’s Calcasieu Pass LNG facility, which sits at the mouth of the Calcasieu River on the Gulf of Mexico. The facility has been flaring on and off for the better part of two years, hobbled by persistent equipment malfunctions. Noise and air pollution have made life difficult for nearby residents. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 14:46
Shrimpers and fishers concerned about LNG expansion
Cameron has been home to a thriving fishing and shrimping industry since the 1800′s, but will it always be that way? Some of the fishers and shrimpers have a bleak outlook about their future as the LNG Industry grows. A media boat tour was held for local and out-of-town media aimed at making people more aware. It was a beautiful day on the water aboard Phillip “Rooster” Dyson’s shrimp boat. Shrimping is a way of life for generations of his family. But he said they are being squeezed out by the booming growth of LNG export companies. He doesn’t think the fishing industry will last. Video, >click to read< 10:55
