POST-HURRICANE
VESSEL SALVAGE & MARINE DEBRIS
In an Oct.
31, 2005, article, the New Orleans Times Picayune estimated
that there were approximately 3,000 commercial vessels and 35,000
to 45,000 recreational boats missing or in need of salvage due
to Hurricane Katrina. To date, the Coast Guard identified approximately
2,300 commercial vessels in need of salvage, of which 929 have
been salvaged by the USGC or the owners themselves.
The
magnitude of the problem is simply overwhelming, but as the government
progresses on removing vessels and getting the waterways open,
the USCG is “finding that there’s another monumental
task for us” — marine debris. Massive amounts of debris
in the form of refrigerators, parts of buildings, frac tanks,
vegetation, vehicles and pier pilings trash the bayous, canals
and backwaters of southern Louisiana. The debris is so problematic
that it limits the navigation for Louisiana’s commercial
fishing industry.
For the latest
information on Louisiana’s marine salvage and vessel recovery,
please visit www.laseagrant.org/hurricane/archive/vessel.htm.
For information
regarding Louisiana Sea Grant’s efforts on securing a donated
Marine Travelift from the City and Port of Valdez, Alaska, please
view the following links:
For information
regarding Louisiana Sea Grant's latest post-hurricane marine debris
marking and mapping project in Calcasieu Lake, please visit http://www.laseagrant.org/debris/
