Melancon: $40M for La. fisheries

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, announced this week that Louisiana will be eligible for up to $40 million in federal disaster aid to restore and rebuild the state’s fish habitats and fishing industries devastated by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.
The funding will be made available through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Fisheries Service, a division of the federal Department of Commerce. NOAA also announced that Texas will be eligible for up to $7 million in disaster aid.
“Clearing debris from our waterways and repairing hurricane-damaged docks, icehouses, and other infrastructure is a critical step in getting Louisiana’s fishing industry fully up and running again,” said Melancon.
The State of Louisiana will now develop a plan outlining how the funds will be used, under the guidelines that eligible projects must “assess the economic and social effects of the commercial fishery failure, restore the fishery, or prevent a similar failure in the future.”
According to NOAA, Louisiana has indicated the aid will be used to restore damaged oyster reefs, remove storm debris hindering the shrimp industry, and to rebuild processing houses, docks, ice houses, and other parts of the fishing infrastructure destroyed by the hurricanes.
“This funding will help our shrimpers and fishermen recover more quickly from Gustav and Ike, rebuilding an important part of our economy and way of life in south Louisiana,” Melancon said.