Mitigating oyster fishers’ losses

After more than a decade, Louisiana stopped new oyster leases in an attempt to avoid lawsuits when oyster beds are damaged by its coastal restoration projects. But as the Pelican State embarks on a $1.4B-to-date coastal restoration project, called the Mid-Barataria sediment diversion in Plaquemines Parish, plans to mitigate oyster fishery losses includes opening new coastal waters for fishers to move crops out of a potential harm's way. Officials are hoping that lifting the moratorium will encourage oyster leaseholders to find areas away from the project, according to Cole Garrett, executive counsel for Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. It’s one of “many things” that are being looked at to address coastal changes, he said of lifting the moratorium. The current design would allow 75,000 cubic feet/second of Mississippi River sediment and water to flow through a controlled opening in the West Bank levee near Ironton. The sediment is to feed Barataria Bay marshes in attempts to reduce land loss and to sustain wetlands damaged by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, according to an Army Corps of Engineers report. The project has gotten opposition from oyster fishers. Louisiana produces some 50 percent of the nation’s oysters. From 2000-04, some 50 percent of the nation's oyster landings are located in Louisiana. In 2016, oyster landings in Louisiana were valued at more than $68M, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The state Supreme Court reversed a $1B settlement against Louisiana in 2004 finding the state was not liable for damages to the oyster leases because of a "hold harmless" clause written into leases. Still, the moratorium remained, and sent oyster fishers to coastal landowners to expand operations. In 2016, legislation was established to lift the moratorium; but it’ll take another six months before fishers can apply. When the moratorium is lifted, some 670,000 acres of state-owned water bottoms could be available and suitable for lease, according to a legislative auditor report. (Source: NOLA.com 06/19/18)