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Economy
- Are there any preliminary estimates of the economic damages that Hurricane Katrina has wrought on coastal Louisiana’s natural resources?
- How have Louisiana’s recreational fishermen been affected by Hurricane Katrina?
- How has Louisiana’s charter boat fishing industry been affected by Hurricane Katrina?
- What assistance programs are available to fishermen and other businesses that suffered business losses due to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita?
Are there any preliminary estimates of the economic damages that Hurricane Katrina has wrought on coastal Louisiana’s natural resources?
Economic damages generally originate from revenue loss as a result of compromised production systems, lowered product quality and associated price decline, disruption in marketing channels and/or physical damage to infrastructures. While the extent of the economic damages in Louisiana caused by Katrina will take weeks to assess, the estimates provided by the LSU Agricultural Center and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries should be regarded as preliminary.
Katrina_FisheriesLosses.pdf (LDWF)
Katrina_ResourceDamage.pdf (LSU AgCenter)(Hamady Diop, Louisiana Sea Grant College Program) 9-21-05
How have Louisiana’s recreational fishermen been affected by Hurricane Katrina?
Recreational anglers spent $895 million in Louisiana in 2003, which produced a total economic impact of $1.632 billion. Commercial fishing generated nearly $2 billion in sales for a total economic effect of more than $2.6 billion. Unfortunately, the capacity to support much of this activity in southeast Louisiana has been disrupted by the hurricane.
Docks and marinas, lodging, fuel and ice facilities, fish processors, bait suppliers and most other services have been affected. Direct loss of larger, non-trailerable boats was nearly 100 percent in some areas, such as Venice. Most residents of fishing communities in lower St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes lost homes. Loss of fishing camps is also considerable, with all camps in some areas completely destroyed and nearly all throughout the region damaged.
Reports are trickling in on which waters experienced fish kills, and it will be some time before the full extent of this impact is known. Preliminary reports indicate that many of the areas around Lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas will be on the final list. Sportsmen can keep up with fisheries news and regulations at: http://www.wlf.state.la.us/apps/netgear/index.asp?cn=lawlf&pid=13
Pollution from oil spills and residential and industrial drainage after the storm can also be expected to cause aquatic habitat damage and localized loss of fish populations. Contamination of fish and shrimp that are consumed is less likely, but anglers and consumers can check for advisories at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fsdisas2.html or http://www.cfsan.fda.gov. Keep up with all the information on post-Katrina water quality at http://www.deq.state.la.us.
The recovery of fisheries will be dependent on several factors, including the extent of the kill, percentage of fish killed in a specific area and level of connectivity with unaffected waters. In a best-case scenario, a fish kill of a few acres in an area with lots of connections to unaffected water should be mostly back to normal in a year or so. In a worst-case scenario, a system that experiences extensive kills in all connected waters will take several years before fish repopulation comes up to expected levels.
Permanent damage to “nursery” habitats was also caused by Katrina. Again, surveys have been preliminary, but are consistently alarming.
Satellite photography south of New Orleans indicates that the marshes below Caernarvon were severely cut up. Fishermen will find that area largely unrecognizable. Destruction of marsh edge habitats results in impacts to fisheries production that isn’t immediately noticed, but it will gradually reduce the populations of fish and shrimp. Satellite photos are showing that more than 13,000 square acres of coastal wetlands and a number of offshore barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico have entirely disappeared.
Researchers are headed out to test fish and shrimp for evidence of toxic contamination and pathogens that might affect human health, examine water quality, pollutants, wetland impacts, navigation hazards and the marine food chain. Expect to hear reports about this work before long.
In all this bad news there may be a bit of good news. Offshore bottom fishing is usually excellent after a big storm.
Sportsmen can keep up with the news about fisheries impact assessments and regulations at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDFW) Web site: http://www.wlf.state.la.us/apps/netgear/index.asp?cn=lawlf&pid=13Anyone who lost a boat in the storm should fax LDWF (225/763-5421) a copy of their driver's license and a request to flag their boat LA# ______ as missing due to Katrina or Rita. Information about lost boats also can be found at:
http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/apps/netgear/index.asp?cn=lawlf&pid=1380(Glenn Thomas and Rex Caffey, Louisiana Sea Grant College Program/LSU AgCenter) 9-27-05
How has Louisiana’s charter boat fishing industry been affected by Hurricane Katrina?
Charter fishing has been growing in popularity in Louisiana. Saltwater fishermen spent some $28.2 million on charter trips in 2003. Most of that activity was based in the eastern portion of the state and was hit hard by Katrina. The Venice area was particularly devastated, with nearly complete loss of onshore marina facilities and harbored boats.
Inshore charter guides using trailered boats may have saved their vessels but are faced with loss of infrastructure in eastern coastal areas. Operators of these businesses should remember that, in addition to insurance claims and Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) assistance, the Small Business Administration is making loans for recovery. Visit http://www.sba.gov/disaster/ for more information. Other disaster relief information relevant to fishing businesses is available from NOAA http://www.commerce.gov/Katrina/.
Additionally, anglers and charter operators should be aware that the Secretary of Commerce has declared northern and Eastern Gulf a fishery failure, so that federal relief funds will be available to assess the impacts, restore the fisheries, prevent future failure, and assist fishing communities' recovery efforts http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov. This should help coastal fisheries businesses to get back in operation sooner.
Sportsmen can keep up with the news about fisheries impact assessments and regulations at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDFW) Web site: http://www.wlf.state.la.us/apps/netgear/index.asp?cn=lawlf&pid=13
Anyone who lost a boat in the storm should fax LDWF (225/763-5421) a copy of their driver's license and a request to flag their boat LA# ______ as missing due to Katrina or Rita. Information about lost boats also can be found at:
http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/apps/netgear/index.asp?cn=lawlf&pid=1380More information about LDWF activities after Katrina is available at:
http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/apps/netgear/index.asp?cn=lawlf&pid=13&id=1125592591For more information about the value of fisheries, hunting and boating in Louisiana, visit:
http://www.wlf.state.la.us/apps/netgear/clientFiles/lawlf/files/LEI%202003_4xfinal.pdf(Glenn Thomas, Louisiana Sea Grant College Program/LSU AgCenter) 9-22-05
What assistance programs are available to fishermen and other businesses that suffered business losses due to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita?
What assistance programs are available to fishermen and other businesses that suffered business losses due to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita?
For those operators whose vessels or shoreside facilities sustained physical damage, there is a physical disaster loan program with favorable rates and terms from the Small Business Administration (SBA). The deadline for those filing for damage sustained by Katrina was Oct. 28, 2005.
For those operators who need operating funds until the business recovers, the SBA also offers an economic injury loan program. Funds can be used to pay short-term notes, accounts, etc. This deadline is May 29, 2006.
The deadline for making an application to SBA for physical damage sustained under Rita was Nov. 23, 2005. The deadline for applying for economic injury loans sustained by Rita is June 26, 2006.
The following link is to the SBA Web site’s Disaster Loan Program.
http://www.sba.gov/disaster_recov/index.htmlIt is requested that boat owners (deckhands are not eligible) register with FEMA to start the process. Their number is 800-621-FEMA. While FEMA rarely provides funds to businesses, they will generate a referral to SBA. The referral will result in SBA sending a Disaster Loan Application. For your convenience, those forms are downloadable at: http://www.sba.gov/disaster_recov/loaninfo/dloanassit.html
The following fact sheet is a fact sheet for the declaration for Katrina and Rita.
http://www.sba.gov/disaster_recov/FACTSHEET_HurricanesKatrinaRitaLATX.pdfAdditionally, the Fish for the Future Foundation, a non-profit institution established to improve the scientific and economic understanding of marine fisheries management and the seafood industry in the U.S., has announced the establishment of the Gulf Fisherman's Relief Fund. The Gulf Fisherman's Relief Fund is offering to assist members of the fishing community in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and parts of Florida affected by this natural disaster.
Applications for assistance and more information concerning the relief fund are available at the Fish for the Future Foundation Web site at http://www.fish4thefuturefoundation.org. In addition to name and contact information, grant applications require information on state and federal permit type, number and effective dates, vessel information and a brief statement of losses.
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