Coastal Conservation Association (CCA)

In the work here at Coastal Conservation Association, we are often so concerned with the fragility of our natural resources that we sometimes forget Mother Nature herself can be one tough lady. Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita were, in the simplest terms, phenomenal displays of power, and stark reminders there are certain things in this world that will forever dwarf the best efforts of humans and mock our sense of supremacy. What took decades for man to build was destroyed in a matter of hours by howling winds and walls of water.

Events of this magnitude tear the fabric of life in coastal communities and it will take years for those areas to heal. Boat ramps and roads have been destroyed. Fish camps, houses, and ancestral homes were washed away. Charter boats, shrimp boats, and menhaden boats lay crushed on interstates miles from the sea. Marinas, fish processing plants, and docks are simply gone. The true extent of the impacts is not yet known, but already the loss of infrastructure is staggering.

One of the definitions for the term ground zero is “the starting point or most basic level.” These two storms were events capable of reducing some parts of the Gulf Coast to ground zero. How it begins to recover will be the subject of discussion in many areas of government for months and years to come.

DISASTER/OPPORTUNITY

The Department of Commerce has declared all commercial fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico a disaster due to the destruction of boats and shore-side facilities. It is believed oyster harvesting and shrimping activities won’t recover for years. The Louisiana shrimp fleet is larger than the rest of the fleet in the entire Gulf of Mexico and estimates are that half of it was wiped out.

Recreational anglers did not escape the carnage either, as the two storms virtually destroyed all recreational facilities on both sides of Louisiana. For the Sportsman's Paradise, there is simply no practical recreational fishing industry right now. A billion-dollar business is now essentially in a deep coma.

There is no doubt that recreational and commercial fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico will rise from the ashes of these disasters. The country needs a sustainable seafood industry. For commercial fishermen there will be economic relief packages flowing into the region to ensure that those who want to return to making a living on the sea will be able to do that.

In the rush to make things right, however, care should be taken to ensure that the disaster relief provided produces a more economically viable commercial fishing industry. Remember, in the years before Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, many shrimpers and commercial fishermen were caught in a vicious cycle of higher fuel prices and pricing pressure from rising imports. Overcapitalization in the commercial fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico has been a persistent problem, with too many fishermen chasing too few fish to make too little money. For many, the economics of the industry were in shambles.

While the circumstances that produced it are tragic, this is one of the very few times that marine resources and the condition of those who make their livelihood from them will have the undivided attention and resources of the federal government to improve their situation. It is crucial that money be available so that not only the fishermen who want to return may do so in a sustainable manner, but those who want to leave the business will have a reasonable off-ramp to do so.

“Out of the destruction caused by these tremendous and terrible storms is a clean slate from which we can work together to rebuild an economically viable industry that makes sense for the resource,” said Fred Miller, chairman of CCA’s National Government Relations Committee. “CCA is committed to using our resources and working with the governors of the affected states, the National Marine Fisheries Service and other federal authorities to ensure this is a thorough and comprehensive plan.”

The term ground zero is also defined as “the center of rapid or intense development or change.” With the proper planning, federal relief money can not only rebuild boats and businesses, it can allow some in the commercial fishing industry to chart a new course for smoother seas.