September 3, 2020 — Location determines the extent of damage for those in the fisheries industry have sustained from Hurricane Laura.
Mark Shirley, aquaculture specialist with the LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant, said the farther west you go, the worse it is.
“Most of the fishermen in the Vermilion Parish area were able to move their boats and equipment to higher ground before the storm,” he said. “However, the guys in Cameron were hit really hard.”
Shirley said he was far enough from the east side of the storm that he didn’t receive a lot of damage. He said his lights are on, and he didn’t lose anything in his freezer.
“We have fishermen in areas that escaped a lot of damage who are chipping in to help those in need,” he said. Some of that help includes generators, fuel and other supplies.
Thu Bui, AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant fisheries agent, said fishermen in the lower St. Mary Parish area dodged a bullet with this storm.
“We were really preparing for that big 12- to 18-foot surge of water that was predicted, but thankfully, that didn’t happen,” she said. “We had about 4 to 5 feet in Intracoastal City, but it could have been a lot worse.”