Grand Isle Port Commission to host Dead Zone conference

The Grand Isle Port Commission is inviting Grand Isle’s coastal neighbors to participate in its Grand Isle Dead Zone Conference Friday.

The event will be held from 1 pm. to 4:30 p.m. at the Community Center located at 3811 Highway 1 on Grand Isle. It is designed to engage people’s ideas, input and support to work on reducing the size of the Gulf Dead Zone.

“That (the Dead Zone) directly impacts the island economically,” said Grand Isle Port Commission Director Wayne Keller.

Keller said both recreational and commercial fishing, as well as tourism play major parts in Grand Isle’s economy. And the hypoxic zone in the gulf can negatively impact all three if it continues to expand or shifts in a way bringing it closer to the region.

“We’re getting the fringe effect, which basically is pushing a lot of the species to the edge of the Dead Zone. And we’re at the edge of that Dead Zone,” said Keller.

Keller said this fringe effect has caused apathy and non-concern among the locals, because for the short term it seems to be beneficial to them.

“We need to look at the future. If the Dead Zone comes 20 miles north, particularly north and west, I think a lot of people will become a lot more concerned,” said Keller.

The port commission hopes all citizens, commercial and recreational fishermen, charter captains, concerned individuals, business people involved in the tourism industry and coastal neighbors will attend the event.

The event will include a presentation on the latest research into the Dead Zone phenomena by the Executive Director of the Louisiana University Marine Consortium Dr. Nancy Rabalais.

LSU Coastal Studies Director Dr. Gregory Stone, Barataria- Terrebonne National Estuary

Program Director Kerry St. Pe and Lower Mississippi River Sub-Basin Committee Coordinator Doug Daigle will also be speaking.

The commission hopes the facilitated sessions will lead to brainstorming and creative strategies for reducing the hypoxic zone in the Gulf.

“We realize this isn’t a local issue. All of the entire Mississippi River Basin affects what happens here in the Gulf. It’s going to take a concerted federal effort to get some changes made,” said Keller.

A free dinner, likely boiled shrimp from the Gulf, will be served following the sessions.

Those wishing to spend the night on Louisiana’s only inhabited barrier island, Saturday will include some special activities like sailboat rides, nature and history tours and other activities.

The event coordinators will even help visitors find lodging for the night.

The Mississippi River Basin Alliance, the LSU AgCenter, LA. Sea Grant, America’s Wetlands, BTNEP, the Nature Conservancy and the Gulf Restoration Network, Rod and Reel Magazine and others are supporting the event.

Attendees are asked to pre-register for the dinner by Sept. 5.

For more information, contact Keller by e-mail at waynek@grandisleport.com or call (985)787-2229.

E-mail is the preferred method to RSVP.