February 7, 2022 — A recently released report detailing infrastructure, revenue and resource loss to Louisiana Fisheries have prompted a Louisiana Congressmen to ask the Department of Commerce (DOC) to expedite a Fishery Disaster Determination due to major damage related to impacts of Hurricanes Laura, Delta, Zeta and especially Ida.
Congressman Garret Graves request to to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo comes after a recent economic assessment verified the devastating impact to the state’s fishing communities.
The recently released report by Louisiana Sea Grant and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries documents extreme damage and loss of revenue over all five sectors of the industry; commercial fishermen, recreational fishing, docks, processors and marinas.
The report and supporting analysis not only confirmed the importance of the state’s fishing industry but also the massive impact of the storms. It demonstrated more than 8,500 businesses were impacted, resulting in $305 million in damage to fisheries infrastructures such as marinas, docks, seafood processors, and dealers. Combined with an additional $118 million in resource loss and $155 million revenue loss, the total estimated impact is estimated at $579 million.