FISHERYNATION.COM

I am literally sitting at my desk in tears this morning, those of you that know me or read my posts know I’m always posting about something to help promote St. Bernard or the people who live here. Most of the time I leave emotion out of it, I can’t do that today.

If you live in St. Bernard or Plaquemines please, please, please read all the way through. If the people of St. Bernard and Plaquemines don’t stand up and do something now, the parts of our parish that are outside of the levees are going to be washed away. Delacroix, Shell Beach, Hopedale, Yscloskey will not be there any more.

The state’s master plan is going to “relocate” those communities.

WHERE’S THE OUTRAGE!?!?

The state has a diversion planned in the Braithwaite area that will be the size of the Bonnet Carre Spillway, along with 3 others on the east bank of the river. An official from corps has told us that when these diversions are run it will put 6’+ of water on Delacroix Hwy.

These communities will be gone, our oyster, crab, shrimp, and saltwater fishing industries will be non-existent.

The ripple effects of this will devastate St. Bernard’s economy. What really gets me is St. Bernard is not a part of this process. We do not have a seat on the Coastal Protection and Restoration Board (CPRA), we don’t get to have an opinion on whether or not they wash away part of our parish.

Scientists who speak up and say these projects will do more harm than good have their jobs threatened. Hell, they aren’t even informing the people that they are about to “sacrafice for the greater good”. If the state had this experimental project that they thought might help rebuild some land but it will destroy part of Baton Rouge, or Metairie, or the French Quarter in the process, would we even be having this conversation?

I have been fighting against this for 2 years now. Recently, I guess the state has become unhappy with our progress. They have started a media blitz against us (with funding from huge “environmental” groups that want to see our working coast turned into open water with cypress trees and bullfrogs). I have been personally attacked, along with some of the other members of the SLC. I don’t make money doing this, I don’t live outside the levee so my home is safe (for now), and I am not a commercial fisherman.

There should be people a lot more pissed off then I am. Our WHOLE PARISH should be up in arms! I’m tired, I’m discouraged, I feel like there are a few of us fighting alone to save our parishes. I feel like there is so many people that aren’t even aware of what is going on, and I don’t know how else to reach them. IF WE WAIT TIL THERE ARE SHOVELS IN THE GROUND IT WILL BE TOO LATE!

All I am asking for is for everyone to start talking. TELL PEOPLE, share the information, please make sure that everyone in St. Bernard and Plaquemines know what’s going on and the truth behind the propaganda that is being pushed on them. We don’t have millions of dollars for media blitzes, we need you. Help us spread the word. And if you want to help message me or go to the coalition’s website and join, www.thesavelouisianacoalition.com.

If we don’t stand up for ourselves no one else is going to. I also think we need to think about this when election time comes. We only need people in office who are going to fight as hard as we are. Sorry for the long rant, but thank you for listening.

Kerri Callais