Louisiana's Fisheries Receives $19 Million from the LRA

The Times-Picayune published an article by Chris Kirkham today that will warm the hearts of seafood lovers and fishermen everywhere, announcing that $19 million has been granted to help rebuild the fishing industry in Louisiana ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. Last fall, the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) called for project proposals that would help the state's fisheries recover from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

"This program is designed to support the recovery of coastal Louisiana's fisheries industry through direct investment in infrastructure projects that will improve the viability and long-term sustainability of the commercial and recreational fisheries," said John T. Landry, Chair of the LRA's Infrastructure Task Force. "I encourage all interested parties to apply."

With an approximate six-week window to apply, from October 26 to December 14, 2007, the LRA received 61 proposals. After review, a panel of national fishing industry experts chose 15 projects that they felt would most benefit the beleaguered fishing community. Among the projects chosen were the Bucktown marina and recreational area projects and New Orleans' City Park fishing piers, while Grand Isle received $2 million dollars to install a boat lift and build commercial fishing docks. Adam Knapp, deputy director of the LRA looks to these projects to help the coastal regions of Louisiana.

"The expectation we have is that these investments . . . are going help put a foothold back in for the fisheries sector as they're climbing back up, and bring them back to the level they were at before," said Adam Knapp, LRA's deputy director. "They're not all processing plants, they're not all boat launches. There are a myriad of different things that got funded."

Plaquemines Parish received the lion's share of the funding, receiving nearly $5 million dollars for projects including ice houses, processing plants and the rebuilding and extension of the Venice shipyard. Plaquemines Parish currently has a recovery project on the boards relating to the Venice boatyard with an anticipated build time of four months once the project receives its Corp of Engineers permit. Click here to see photos of the Venice Marina post-Katrina.

SOURCE: "Fisheries revival plans get state money" 03/19/08
SOURCE: "State Launches Program to Rebuild Fisheries Infrastructure" 10/26/07
SOURCE: "Plaquemines Parish Recovery Project Update"
SOURCE: "Venice Marina Hurricane Katrina Photos"
photo courtesy of jasminedelilah, used under this Creative Common License