Gov. requests fed flood assistance

BATON ROUGE, La. – Gov. John Bel Edwards announced June 17 that he has written and requested a federal fisheries disaster declaration for Louisiana from the U.S. Department of Commerce following impacts of spring flooding on the fishing industry. High mortality rates are among oysters, declining catches, and the financial damage to livelihoods caused by floodwaters rushing from the Bonnet Carré Spillway, Edwards outlined in a letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. A declaration may help in obtaining federal financial assistance for state fishers, processors, docks, and for the state to “help rehabilitate the important fishery species upon which our seafood industry relies,” he wrote. The governor cited findings from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries that show negative impacts on the fishing industry. The declaration is driven by the unprecedented decision to open the Bonnet Carré Spillway twice this year, which resulted in reduced salinity levels in some of the state’s coastal waters and disrupted estuarine productivity. (Source: La. Wildlife & Fisheries 06/17/19)