[StBernard] Governor Jindal Highlights Reopening of Recreational Fishing

[Westley Annis]

Governor Jindal Highlights Reopening of Recreational Fishing

GRAND ISLE (July 16, 2010) - Today, Governor Bobby Jindal traveled to the
Bridge Side Marina in Grand Isle where he joined dozens of fishermen and
members of the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) to highlight the
reopening of recreational fishing areas. On Wednesday, the Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and the Louisiana Wildlife and
Fisheries Commission (LWFC) announced significant openings to recreational
fishing that were previously closed due to the oil spill. With this action,
approximately 86 percent of recreational fishing in Louisiana was opened
immediately. The openings allow recreational anglers, including recreational
shrimping, crabbing and fishing, to resume. This opening includes licensed
charter boat guides and bait fishermen or dealers who harvest for and sell
to recreational fishermen exclusively. 

Governor Jindal said, "It was great to see this marina packed today with
Louisianians who have been waiting to get back on the water to go catch
their limit. Louisiana is Sportsman's Paradise and the reopening of
recreational fishing areas gives our people a chance to have a piece of
their way of life back. 

"Not only is the reopening important for the folks who enjoy going out on
the water, but this is also about the livelihoods of our people, including
charter boat captains and bait fishermen or dealers. Our charter boat
captains and bait dealers are ready for folks to get back on the water and I
encourage everyone to take a trip down to the coast and experience
Sportsman's Paradise."

Louisiana has submitted proposals to BP to conduct a five-year fishery
resource-monitoring plan and to increase testing and sampling. Contingent on
BP approval of this funding, Louisiana plans to conduct 400 samplings of
shrimp, crab, oysters, and finfish each month in all coastal parishes and
waters to guarantee the safety of the state's seafood and fisheries and to
complement the ongoing water sampling. The state will ramp up monitoring and
sampling activities to expedite knowledge of fishery areas that are safe so
Louisiana can open these waters and get fishermen back in their boats as
soon as possible.

Governor Jindal said he would also like to see commercial fishing open as
quickly and safely as possible. The Governor said, "The FDA has oversight of
seafood sold commercially and LDWF has already sent them a proposed plan to
open the same areas that the Commission approved for recreational fishing.
In fact, LDWF has provided the FDA with input and testing samples that are
awaiting the FDA labs to be reviewed. The LWFC passed a resolution urging
the FDA to review the testing samples that are sitting in their labs and we
support that resolution so we can open commercial fishing quickly in the
areas where it is safe."

The Governor said the reopening of these recreational fishing areas is
certainly good news, but Louisiana is not in the clear yet and he remains
cautiously optimistic about the capping of the well.

Governor Jindal said, "We remain cautiously optimistic about the recent
developments on the BP oil well in the Gulf. Of course, it is too early to
declare victory and there is still a lot more work that needs to be done. We
know the relief well is the ultimate fix. We have been fighting a war
against this oil for months now and we know our battles don't end even when
the well is capped. Millions of gallons of oil are still in the Gulf and
some estimates show that oil will continue to hit our shores for many more
months or maybe even longer. 

"Work to revitalize our coast won't be done until our water and our shores
are completely clean and our wildlife, our communities, and our coastal
industries are 100 percent restored. I have no doubt that we will come back
stronger than ever before from this disaster, just as we have done in our
recovery from four devastating storms in three years. It's the perseverance
of the people of Louisiana that will ensure our successful recovery and
fully restore our Louisiana Way of Life."

Governor Jindal also highlighted his "Agenda for Revitalizing Coastal
Louisiana" which sets a pathway forward for restoring Louisiana's coast
through four priority initiatives: implementing a coastal restoration plan,
certifying Louisiana's seafood and getting fishermen back on the water,
lifting the moratorium so Louisiana can refuel America and holding BP
accountable until Louisiana's wildlife, air and marshes are restored.

The full "Agenda for Revitalizing Coastal Louisiana" can be found here: Link
<http://www.gov.state.la.us/index.cfm?md=newsroom&tmp=detail&articleID=2332>


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