Saving Seafood

Letters: Pleas for help from Louisiana shrimpers fall on deaf ears

July 26, 2023 — The Louisiana shrimp industry is in crisis; putting our 15,000 jobs and $1.3 billion industry at risk.

During the legislative session, hundreds of shrimpers, dock owners and processors marched on the State Capitol to call out unwanted competition from imported shrimp.

Louisiana plays a significant role in the U.S. shrimp market, accounting for 25% of the nation’s demand. But imports from Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Ecuador are flooding U.S. markets, resulting in distressed prices for our product.

Absent an outright ban or a cap and control mechanism on imported shrimp, it becomes increasingly challenging to sustain our livelihoods. Additionally, imports raise concerns about cheap foreign labor practices and potential health risks.

Expanding testing and enforcing country-of-origin labeling are common sense solutions to ensure consumer safety and awareness. But our pleas for assistance to our federal and state lawmakers continue to go unanswered.

To add insult to injury, we face another threat by Louisiana’s recreational and for-hire charter fishermen who have suggested there need to be arbitrary and scientifically unsubstantiated limits on commercial fishing, including shrimping and Gulf menhaden fishing, to reduce incidental bycatch of speckled trout and redfish.

While conservation efforts of these stressed species are important, singling out the commercial fishing sector without addressing the root causes of reckless overfishing by the tens of thousands of unmonitored anglers off Louisiana’s coast is misguided. Louisiana’s commercial fisheries follow sound fisheries management practices.

We are heavily regulated, guided by science and sustainability. We will not allow others to selectively shift blame to us when they need to do more to preserve and protect their catch.

Failure to address these challenges will have far-reaching consequences, potentially resulting in the loss of not just our industry but a cultural heritage deeply intertwined with our coastal communities.

ACY COOPER

president, Louisiana Shrimp Association

Read the full article at NOLA.com

LOUISIANA: Louisiana poised to spearhead offshore wind in Gulf of Mexico

July 26, 2023 — Last week, the White House announced the first offshore wind power auction in the Gulf of Mexico will take place next month.

The Biden administration will allocate leases for a 102,480-acre area of federal waters off the coast of Lake Charles in Louisiana and two areas offshore Galveston, Texas totalling around 200,000 acres.

In May, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) found no significant environmental impact from offshore wind leasing on a 30-million-acre area, paving the way for the first lease sales that could host 3.6 GW of capacity.

A number of companies have prequalified for the sale, including oil and gas groups Shell, Equinor and TotalEnergies, but the first turbines could in fact be installed in Louisiana state waters.

Louisiana aims to install 5 GW of offshore wind by 2035 and the state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is in talks with two offshore wind developers for projects in state waters, DNR confirmed to Reuters Events.

Read the full article at Reuters

Louisiana hasn’t issued any fines despite 2,671 violations of imported shrimp law

June 29, 2023 — Restaurants in the U.S. state of Louisiana are flouting a state law requiring them to indicate on their menus whether the shrimp or crawfish they’re selling is imported, but the state has yet to impose any fines on violators.

Health inspectors have issued 2,671 citations for violations of the 2019 Louisiana law, according to an investigation by the Louisiana Illuminator. However, the state law does not include any provisions about penalties, leaving the state health department toothless in trying to enforce it.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA declares fishery disasters in Louisiana and Mississippi

June 27, 2023 — The U.S. Department of Commerce has determined multiple fisheries in the U.S. states of Louisiana and Mississippi suffered from disasters in 2020, clearing the way for those state to receive financial assistance from the federal government.

“Sustainable fisheries are vital to our nation’s ocean economy and fishery disasters directly harm our local communities when they occur,” Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said. “These disaster determinations allow us to get fishing communities in the Gulf of Mexico the financial assistance they need to mitigate impacts of disasters, restore fisheries, and help prevent future disasters.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

LOUISIANA: Louisiana spring shrimp season to open in a portion of inshore waters

April 24, 2023 — On April 19, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission convened a special meeting to consider setting the opening of the spring shrimp season in a portion of state inshore waters. The opening will be based on information provided by LDWF biologists and public comments.

The commission stated, “The portion of state inside waters from the eastern shore of South Pass of the Mississippi River westward to the western shore of Freshwater Bayou Canal to open at 6am on May 1, 2023.”

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

 

Gulf shrimp landings data showing rebound in Louisiana and decline in Texas

March 15, 2023 — The Fishery Monitoring Branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries’ Southeast Fisheries Science Center released preliminary shrimp landings data from the Gulf of Mexico and the South Atlantic for November 2022.

As with the agency’s reporting since July of last year, the numbers released by NOAA include substantial revisions, with reporting for the years prior to 2022 reflecting final totals tabulated by the agency. Because NOAA’s reporting for November 2022 remains preliminary in nature, the Southern Shrimp Alliance presents this data in the historical context of the agency’s previously reported preliminary figures. This means that in the summary charts prepared by the Southern Shrimp Alliance, the historical figures for the month of November in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 do not correspond to the numbers now being reported by NOAA.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Louisiana denounces federal rule for shrimp boats at Fifth Circuit

March 11, 2023 — From po’ boy sandwiches to jambalaya, etouffee and gumbo, shrimp is a staple in Louisiana’s and New Orleans’ celebrated cuisine.

The small shellfish are big business in Louisiana with 15,000 residents employed in the industry, which has an annual economic impact of $1.3 billion for the state, according to its Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board.

But Louisiana shrimpers who followed their fathers and grandfathers into the trade say it is dying as wild-caught and farm-raised imports from Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and India into the U.S. have exceeded 1 billion pounds annually in recent years.

Read the full article at Courthouse News Service

Gulf’s first two zones for offshore wind farms selected off Louisiana, Texas

November 1, 2022 — The federal government has selected the first two areas for offshore wind development in the Gulf of Mexico, clearing the way for a process that could have windmills spinning over the waves near Louisiana by the decade’s end.

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Monday finalized the boundaries for the two zones: a 174,000-acre area south of Lake Charles and a 508,000-acre area near Galveston, Texas.

The two areas have the potential to generate enough power for almost 3 million homes, according to BOEM. That’s enough electricity for the combined populations of Houston, New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

The commercial leasing process for the two areas is expected to begin by the middle of next year. After a multi-year site assessment, survey process and environmental review, offshore wind developers could begin installing turbines before 2030.

U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, said BOEM’s site selection is an “important first step” toward a stronger economy and cleaner energy for the Gulf region.

“Offshore wind is a key component to achieving our nation’s clean energy goals to lower costs and cut pollution, while creating good jobs for Americans,” he said.

Read the full article at nola.com

Louisiana Regulators Propose New Spotted Seatrout Limits in Response to Overfishing by Recreational Anglers

October 7, 2022 — October 7, 2022 — Yesterday, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) announced a proposal that would reduce the catch of spotted seatrout, in an effort to reverse a decline in the species and reduce overharvesting.

Spotted seatrout, also known as speckled trout, is a popular recreational species in the Gulf of Mexico, and is both overfished and experiencing overfishing. The LWFC’s proposal would address this by reducing recreational fishing in two ways: by increasing the minimum size requirements for keeping trout, and reducing the number of trout that can be caught in one trip.

The full announcement from the LWFC is below:

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) adopted a Notice of Intent (NOI) to increase the minimum size limit of spotted seatrout to 13.5 inches total length from the current 12 inches minimum total length and to decrease the current 25 fish daily bag limit to 15 fish daily bag limit. Modifications in this rule create one statewide size and bag limit, removing the separate regulations in coastal western Louisiana.

At the October 2022 LWFC meeting, LDWF staff presented data indicating that spotted seatrout were continuing to be overfished1 and undergoing overfishing2 .  Management options and recent survey results regarding public opinions toward those options were presented to the LWFC as well.

During the last 2.5 years, LDWF has held eight public meetings across the state, issued multiple surveys to the public, and collected hundreds of public comments on this topic via email.
“I really appreciate the effort of our anglers for taking the time to provide valuable input during our meetings and surveys,” said LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucet. “While the process was lengthy, it allowed ample time for our anglers to voice their opinions on potential management options and allowed the Commission to gather the relevant biological facts to make the difficult, but necessary decision about one of our most popular recreational species.”

Interested persons may submit comments relative to the proposed rule to Jason Adriance, Fisheries Division, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, P.O. Box 98000, Baton Rouge, LA 70898-9000 or via email to jadriance@wlf.la.gov before December 30, 2022. The full notice of intent can be found here.

Additional information on spotted seatrout can be found at:
https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/spotted-seatrout

1. What does Overfished mean?
Overfished is the condition of a fishery that occurs when the spawning stock biomass of the fishery is below the level that is adequate for a fishery’s recruitment class to replace the fishery’s spawning class.

2. What does Overfishing mean?
Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish at a rate greater than the species can replenish its population naturally, resulting in the species becoming increasingly underpopulated.   This term does not necessarily mean that fish removals through fishing pressure are the cause of the low population numbers, necessarily, but means that the fish population can no longer support the current amount of fish removals.

The Commission’s adoption of a Notice of Intent (NOI) is the first of many steps in promulgating a final Rule, which can take between 90 days and one year.  Once adopted, the NOI will be published in the State Register and begin the public comment period.  The Commission will consider all public comments received and may make any changes they deem necessary or appropriate.  Absent any amendments to the NOI by the Commission, the proposed Rule will be sent to the Legislative Oversight Committee for their review.  Upon expiration of the 30-day oversight period, or upon a favorable review by the Oversight Committee, the Rule can be published as final in the State Register.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources. LDWF receives no state general funding and depends on license sales as a major funding source.  Help us protect your hunting and fishing heritage while preserving habitat, wildlife, and aquatic resources by purchasing your license at www.wlf.la.gov. To receive email or text alerts signup here.

 

Gulf shrimpers brace for offshore wind

August 25, 2022 — Trae Cooper risks punctures to the fiberglass hull of his grandfather’s boat every time he pulls out into the gray waters at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Trawling for shrimp that swim along Louisiana’s muddy coast means coexisting with the forgotten pipelines, corroded steel, gnawed plastic and bits of iron that the oil industry left behind as it marched gradually through these marshes and out to sea.

And that’s why Cooper, 39, and many shrimpers in the region say they know enough to worry as a new industry crops up in the Gulf of Mexico: offshore wind.

They wonder if transmission lines will add to the dangers that shrimpers and other commercial fishers already have to dodge, if turbines will take away places they could be shrimping, and if its planning will be done with shrimpers’ input taken seriously.

“If you got a whole field of wind turbines, you may knock out 2 miles of our fishing grounds. That’s a problem, not mentioning the transmission and everything that goes into it,” Cooper said.

Offshore wind appears imminent in the Gulf, one branch of President Joe Biden’s push to lift 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, helping to decarbonize the nation’s electricity grid in a fight against climate change. The administration is planning a first Gulf offshore wind auction by early next year, after finishing an environmental review of the industry’s impacts — including to marine life and fisheries.

Read the full story at E&E News