Tag Archives: Louisiana
Louisiana shrimpers worry high diesel fuel prices will impact profits
Shrimpers are getting ready to cast their nets, but not without major concerns for the upcoming season. Rising fuel prices could also mean higher prices for the tasty crustaceans. “I know we are going to get hit hard by the fuel prices… You better catch a lot of shrimp,” said Cheryl Granger, owner of Granger’s Seafood in Maurice, La. “I think we’re going to have a very hard time,” Granger said. “Very hard and not just us, the crabbers, the shrimpers; everybody fishing on the water.” >click to read< 08:06
Louisiana HB1033: Legislation Would Have Major Costs, New Report Details Fishery’s Economic Value
Despite attempts at further regulation, the Gulf menhaden fishery is already being sustainably managed. The most recent stock assessment found that the species is not overfished nor is overfishing occurring. Since 2019, the Gulf menhaden fishery has been certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. “This report demonstrates that these proposals would likely cause real economic harm to not just the menhaden fishery, but to the coastal communities that rely on it,” said Ben Landry, Director of Public Affairs at Ocean Harvesters, which operates a fleet of menhaden fishing vessels. “Severely restricting our fishermen in state waters is both damaging and unnecessary.” The report looked at the direct, indirect, and induced impacts of the fishery, which is one of the largest in the region. >click to read< 13:56
House backs limits, but pogie bill faces tough path in Senate
A bill that would put the first substantial limits on Louisiana’s biggest but least-regulated commercial fishery cleared the state House of Representatives this week but could face fierce opposition in the Senate. House Bill 1033 would cap the menhaden catch in Louisiana waters at 573 million pounds per year and require menhaden fishing vessels to report daily locations and catch amounts to the state. This year’s bill was backed by conservation and recreational fishing groups but opposed by the menhaden industry and some of the communities that depend on it for jobs and tax dollars. >click to read< 11:54
Jobi Allemand says being a trawler isn’t for everyone, but he loves what he does
Allemand is a local commercial shrimper who has been on the water his whole life. “Being a commercial shrimper is a job I take pride in and truly love,” he said. “To make it as a trawler, you have to put in your time and work for what you catch,” Allemand said. “You can’t expect to go out and load the board the first day. Sometimes, it will take a few days just to find something to work on. There were times where things were breaking and you’re not making money, and it seemed easy to throw in the towel, but if you want to make it as a trawler, you have to put your head down and get back at it harder because if not, it will try to tear you down. For all of my successes, I owe a lot to my Dad and thank him for teaching me the in’s and out’s of being a commercial fisherman.” >click to read< 18:55
Pogie bill would put the first-ever limits on Louisiana’s biggest catch
A bill that would put the first substantial limits on Louisiana’s largest but least-known commercial fishery could improve the health of the Gulf of Mexico but cripple the economies of some coastal communities. The bill would also require menhaden fishing vessels to file daily reports on catch amounts and locations, creating a level of accountability that the bill’s proponents say has been sorely lacking. Still, industry officials say the bill could force the closure of the state’s two menhaden processing plants, putting hundreds of people out of work in areas with few other job prospects. >click to read< 08:10
Blessing of the Fleet: Boat blessings return to Terrebonne and Lafourche
After Dulac was ravaged by Hurricane Ida, this year’s shrimp boat blessing holds a special place for the Rev. Antonio Speedy of Holy Family Catholic Church. “Hurricane Ida has turned our community upside down,” he said. “It’s not the first time the people here have been through a hurricane, but this one was different from the rest. Many people have been left homeless, and the fishing season has started off slowly. There was debris all over the water.” After months of recovery, Speedy said blessing shrimp boats was the last thing on his mind. But as April approached, he began getting requests for the annual tradition. Photo gallery, >click to read< 12:24
Coast Guard medevacs crewmember from fishing vessel near Port Fourchon, La.
Alabama Man Cited For Commercial Fishing Violations in Plaquemines Parish
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Agents cited an Alabama man for alleged commercial fishing violations in Plaquemines Parish on March 17. Agents cited James R. Owens, 53, of Sumerdale, Alabama, for fishing without a commercial gear license and using shrimp trawls exceeding the size requirements in offshore Louisiana territorial waters. Agents were on a Joint Enforcement Agreement patrol in the Gulf of Mexico inspecting shrimp vessels for Turtle Excluder Device (TED) regulations. They boarded a vessel captained by Owens and found he did not possess commercial gear licenses for each of the four trawls he was actively using. >click to read< 16:00
Louisiana: Violet man found guilty of commercial crab pot theft
A Violet man was found guilty of commercial crab trap theft in the St. Bernard Parish Courthouse in Chalmette on March 17, 2022. The Honorable Judge William McGoey for the 34th Judicial District of St. Bernard Parish found Paul Emile Metzler IV, 40, guilty of theft of crab traps and sentenced him to a fine of $400 plus court costs. Metzler also had his crab trap gear licenses revoked for one year. Additionally, during the period of his license revocation Metzler cannot be on any boat harvesting crabs, possessing crabs,,, >click to read< 16:19
Grand Isle shrimp dock owner Dean Blanchard takes good with the bad after Hurricane Ida
The docks at Blanchard Seafood plant are about as close to the Gulf of Mexico as possible without getting wet. When Hurricane Ida struck the island, all that changed. The processing plant was not only inundated, but the winds tore away walls and ceilings, leaving owner and wholesaler Dean Blanchard with more than $1 million in damage. “It was Katrina-like damage,” Blanchard said. “There was less water damage but a hell of a lot of wind damage. We thought Katrina was a once-in-a-lifetime storm, but apparently it wasn’t.” At 63, Blanchard has seen his share of disasters impacting not only his seafood business but also the whole state. >click to read< 09:38
Louisiana man says he will fight to protect our Cajun seafood heritage
Fewer people work on the water today than they did 20 years ago, and there are many reasons for that decrease. But for Golden Meadow seafood fisherman Chad Cheramie Sr., his work is a labor of love, one that he hopes to protect and pass on to future generations in his family. Cheramie catches crabs, crawfish and black drum throughout the year, using his catch to provide for his family. He said that the work is hard, but it’s a passion, one he hopes to do for as long as God allows. >click to read< 09:22
$4.2 million federal grant seeks to help Louisiana seafood processors recoup COVID losses
Louisiana will receive a $4.2 million federal grant to help seafood processors recover losses sustained during the ongoing COVID pandemic. It’s part of a $50 million allocation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to about two dozen coastal states announced Monday. The aid comes from a $2.3 trillion bipartisan bill approved by Congress and then President Donald Trump in December 2020. It combined $900 million in COVID stimulus money with $1.4 trillion to fund various federal agencies. The USDA has not detailed specifics about how the latest aid will be distributed to seafood processors. >click to read< 08:32
Graves seeks Federal Fishery Disaster Determination for Louisiana
U.S. Rep. Garret Graves recently urged the Biden Administration to declare a Fishery Disaster Determination that would provide targeted relief to one of Louisiana’s most impacted sectors and help both commercial and recreational fishers begin to recover from myriad disasters. “Our fishermen have taken a pounding over the last several years. Hurricanes, floods, unfair trade practices, over-regulation, and a global pandemic have delivered a major blow to our workforce and consumer demand,” Rep. Graves wrote in a Jan. 20 letter sent to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. Under law, only the Commerce Secretary can make this determination,,, >click to read< 08:18
The Oysterman, the Pirate and Louisiana’s disappearing wetlands
Maurer was in a bind. Hurricane Ida had decimated the supply chain. The storm swept through the heart of Louisiana’s $2.4bn seafood industry, which supports one out of 70 jobs in the state, leaving him with no roads, no power, and very little seed. He decided he needed to find “new routes to market, whether by boat or by land. Go pirate on them.” He meant this literally. As he looked for a solution among the lingering chaos of the hurricane, he thought of the notorious pirate Jean Laffite, who once operated out of Grand Isle. Maurer decided he would follow the same route: He bought Les Bons Temps to see if he could bring his catch to town directly, bypassing the wrecked roads and bridges. photos, >click to read< 15:12
Lifelong trawler says success comes to those who love the craft
Local trawler Blake Badeaux said he doesn’t know how much longer the local seafood industry will survive in southeast Louisiana due to tough prices and competition from imports. But he plans to be on the water as long as he’s physically able to keep going. Badeaux said he’s been on a trawl boat since he’s 6 months old, and he’s going to keep on going as long as he can, calling a life on the water a labor of love. When asked why he believes fewer younger people are getting into the profession, he said that he believes manual labor is a factor that is likely pulling people away. “There’s not many young people nowadays who like the hard manual labor that comes with trawling,” >click to read< 19:55
Hurricane Ida turns Houma oysterman’s life upside down
For more than six hours, fifth-generation Houma oysterman Jacob David Hulse; his girlfriend, Lindsey Willis; and his dog, Change; huddled inside a friend’s oyster shop as Hurricane Ida slammed ashore Aug. 29. As the more than 140-mph winds started to subside, Hulse, 33, thought he had gone through the worst of it. But as many Louisiana fishermen are finding out, his troubles were only beginning. “Many in our Louisiana seafood families like the Hulses are still homeless from the hurricanes and not sure from where their next meal is coming,” said Ewell Smith a board member with the Gulf Seafood Foundation and a member of the Louisiana Fishing Community Recovery Coalition. >click to read< 11:30
Louisiana Fishing Industry Suffered $579 Million in Damages Due to 2020-21 Hurricanes
Hurricanes Laura, Delta, Zeta, and Ida, which swept through Louisiana during various points in 2020 and 2021, resulted in an estimated $579 million in losses to the state’s fisheries infrastructure, revenues, and biological resources, according to a study by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, LSU and Louisiana Sea Grant. The study’s findings, released today, analyzes monetized losses to fisheries infrastructure (including vessels), sales or gross revenue, and resources losses to fish and oysters. The study also projects financial losses that are continuing into 2022. >click to read< 10:14
Port of Delcambre improving docks with $2M federal grant
While Bayou Carlin is a great place fishermen can sell directly to the public, it’s not without its flaws. Sunken shrimp boats litter the docks, debris rests in the channel, and hurricanes have damaged the structure. Port of Delcambre Director Wendell Verret admits the local seafood industry has been in decline for many years. “We’re just hanging on by our fingernails really to be honest,” Storms, the economy, even marine biology can all be obstacles to the Louisiana fisherman. Though those things are outside of the industry’s control, the infrastructure is. Video, >click to read< 15:34
‘Bonfires on the Levee’ – A Christmas Eve Spectacular!
The Louisiana River Parishes Tourist Commission, along with Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser, culminated the Christmas season with ‘Bonfires on the Levee’ in St. Charles, St. James and St. John the Baptist on Friday, Dec. 24. The Christmas Eve spectacular was canceled last year due to COVID-19. But the tradition is back, and this year features a 67-foot Louisiana Blue Crab bonfire in Garyville. Lots of happy people attended this over three-hundred-year-old Christmas Eve tradition. >click to watch< 14:42
Hurricane Ida: Local trawler pushing forward, despite changes in the industry
Louisiana – Local trawler Brad Duet has been trawling for all of his adult life. “I make a good living, and I love what I do. It’s just a shame there’s no more people getting into this. I feel like those of us out there now are a little bit like the last of a dying breed.” At 18, he became the captain of his own boat. He partnered with his mother to run a boat and get his start as a full-time captain. By 25, it was time for him to be fully on his own, so he went to the bank and secured financing for the F/V Sassy Sandy the boat he runs today. Hurricane Ida has done a lot to change the local trawling industry, and he’s not sure if things are ever truly going to get back to the “old normal.” >click to read< 17:25
Jean Lafitte-area fishermen struggle with wrecked boats, lost businesses and lots of mud
When Hurricane Ida blew through lower Jefferson Parish in late August, it brought wind, rain and surge. What it left behind was mud,,, Larry Helmer, 70, who’s been fishing local waters his whole life, can’t get either of his boats out from where they’re docked at his home on Anthony Lane in Barataria. “If I can’t get out on my boat, I can’t go fish, and at my age, I can’t go on no job hunt,” he said, chuckling ruefully. Helmer’s son, who lives two canals away, is in the same position. “He can’t even go to work. His boat is just about on bottom,” Helmer said. “It’s terrible, man — it’s just terrible. The mud from this hurricane just filled these canals in.” >click to read< 07:36
Coast Guard medevacs crewmember from fishing vessel near Grand Isle, La.
The Coast Guard medevaced a crewmember from a fishing vessel Thursday near Grand Isle, Louisiana. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders received a report over VHF-FM Channel 16 at approximately 1:15 a.m. from the 105-foot fishing vessel, F/V Bossman, of a crewmember who was experiencing chest pains and difficulty breathing. Watchstanders consulted with the duty flight surgeon, who recommended a medevac. Video,>click to read< 16:49
For Dulac crabbing family, Hurricane Ida leaves destruction and strain
With Hurricane Ida’s unrelenting winds clocking more than 170 mph, Shane Luke questioned his decision to stay aboard his 38-foot shrimp boat in Bayou Grand Caillou. Outside the tiny windows, he watched helplessly as the rollup door to the family’s concrete crab-processing building flapped in the wind like a piece of paper in front of a fan. As the mast cracked like wooden matchstick, he took refuge in engine room, hoping it would be a final line of defense against Ida’s wrath. Three hundred miles to the east in Kehmah, Texas, Trudy Luke huddled with her husband, Timmy, and the rest of her family, worrying about her son as well as what would remain of her business upon return. photos, >click to read< 11:06
“Focus on our Fishermen” – JEDCO, Town of Jean Lafitte to Host Seafood Industry Event
Hurricane Ida and COVID-19 have had a devastating impact on our seafood communities,,, Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission (JEDCO), in partnership with the Town of Jean Lafitte, announced plans to host “Focus on our Fishermen,” an evening event to provide fishermen and fisheries-related businesses with access to tools and resources that can guide recovery and beyond. Local partners will be available to provide information on recovery assistance, small business financing programs, and more to help our fishing industry come back stronger and more resilient than ever. for more information, >click to read< 18:48
Hurricane Ida: Float the Boat Program offers help to local commercial fishermen
The Helio Foundation, a local community service group that has provided monetary support and other resources for residents down the bayou in Terrebonne Parish, is expanding their efforts with the Float the Boat Program. The program aims to provide monetary assistance for independent commercial fishermen in need of assistance with a boat that was sunk or needs to be moved in Terrebonne Parish due to Hurricane Ida. >click to read< 11:12
‘We take care of each other’ – Volunteers head to Lafitte to help hard hit residents and fishermen
After Hurricane Ida pummeled Lafitte, the fishing town’s fishermen pledge to keep going. The storm destroyed many of their boats, docks and homes. Volunteers distributed 500 meals to the fishing town’s workers and residents. “When someone, a stranger, shows up to lend you a hand, it gives you that little bit of a lift you need emotionally to get back out there to keep fighting and rebuild your life,” >click to read< – Volunteers head to Lafitte to help hard hit residents, and fishermen – Dozens of boats have been damaged or destroyed, and many wonder if the help will arrive before it’s too late. .,, While the food should help fuel recovery workers, homeowners, and shrimpers still have big needs “I lost my house, my boat, crab traps, I lost everything,” said crabber Nathan Fabre of Lafitte. Video>click to read< 13:10
Hurricane Ida: 50% of this year’s shrimp and oyster harvest may be lost
Fishing communities across Southeast Louisiana are down for the count after Ida. In Lafitte alone, some estimate more than 100 boats are knocked out of commission. “The shrimping community is over probably for the next three years you can’t sell shrimp in Grand Isle or Lafitte,” said Ray Champagne of Lafitte. It’s not just the boats, docks have also been wiped out, many still don’t have power, and the state’s one-billion-dollar seafood industry may lose half its production this year. “It’s going to be down at least 50% and that’s my rough guess right now,” said Patrick Banks, with La. Dept of Wildlife and Fisheries. Not only did Ida deal a blow to the shrimp industry but oystermen have taken it on the chin as well. video, >click to read< 08:53
Hurricane Ida: Hard-hit fisheries deserve a helping hand from Washington
Hurricane Ida was among the most powerful storms ever to make landfall in Louisiana, and certainly the most destructive to take direct aim at one of the state’s key resources: its fisheries. Some fishers spent harrowing hours riding out the storm on their boats, but the nightmare didn’t end when the winds died finally down. Ida obliterated property, including boats that fishers couldn’t afford to insure, and it decimated the habitat and the infrastructure that supports the industry. >click to read< 07:46
Louisiana: Young fishermen face uncertain future after Hurricane Ida
Devin Verdin kept his boat tied near one of the camps along Bayou Grand Caillou during Hurricane Ida. Despite the widespread destruction, Verdin remains certain he’ll remain a shrimper. Along with Evan Solet and Elise Garibotte, Verdin was heading up to David Chauvin’s Seafood Company to gather ice as they prepared to go shrimping Tuesday night. The company is one of few in Dulac able to operate since Ida hit Aug. 29. Seth Billiot said he has tried to apply for help from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration but was told he doesn’t qualify. >Click to read< 08:16
After Hurricane Ida: Louisiana’s struggling seafood industry is teetering
The Category 4 hurricane that struck Louisiana late last month fractured some parts of the industry even worse than 2005’s Katrina, which cost seafood businesses more than $1 billion. No one yet knows how many boats, docks and processors were lost because of Ida’s relentless, 150-mph winds. Vessels that made it to the safest harbors fared the best, yet even some of them were destroyed by the storm’s fury. Unable to speak for a decade since cancer surgery, Dale Williams gets by on disability payments of $1,300 a month. Living in a mobile home at Port Sulphur on the west bank of the Mississippi River, he supplements his income by catching shrimp with a little boat he parked in his front yard for Hurricane Ida. Ida’s Category 4 winds flipped Williams’ trawler on its side, bending the frame and tearing nets,,, The goal is to get back on the water by October, he said, either with the damaged boat or another one that fared better. >click to read< 10:44
