Tag Archives: Louisiana’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Is Environmental Defense Fund Controlling Louisiana’s Department Of Wildlife And Fisheries?
By now our readers are surely familiar with the very strange behavior of Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries secretary Charlie Melancon with respect to his opposition to a bill brought by most of Louisiana’s congressional delegation that would put individual Gulf states, rather than the federal government, in control of the red snapper fishery in the Gulf of Mexico. If you’re not up to speed on Melancon’s antics and escalating feud with a key member of the delegation, Baton Rouge congressman Garret Graves, we offered a primer here. Most of the speculation you may have seen involves the idea that several of the larger commercial fishing concerns along the Gulf coast, who benefit from a crony-capitalist scheme wherein shares of the red snapper market have been allocated based on incumbency – the owners of those concerns have been given the moniker “Sea Lords” since the red snapper catch largely resembles a feudal system of sorts – have essentially bought Melancon and his opposition to the bill Graves is proposing is a product of that purchase. Graves’ idea to put the state in charge of the red snapper fishery would break up the current allocation scheme and put the Sea Lords out of commission in Louisiana, or at least make their incumbency a matter which would be up for grabs. Read the story here 08:10
Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board: New Orleans Saints deal was telling ordeal
The potential that Louisiana’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries could end up running the show upon whose stage the state will market its seafood is causing distress among some fishermen and fish dealers. Asked why that potential is seen as a bad thing, some opponents of legislation submitted by Sen. Gerald Long (R-Winnfield) and Rep. Gordon Dove (R-Houma) point to elements of a deal struck last year with the New Orleans Saints as proof. The contract with the Saints, continued
