La. share of Gulf fish catch down since Katrina, Rita

Hurricanes Rita and Katrina in 2005 altered fishing patterns in the Gulf of Mexico, with Louisiana’s share of the catch dropping by almost 20 percent and the harvests in Texas and Alabama spiking.

The figures from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration bolster fears that Louisiana’s fishing industry, a cultural trademark dating back generations, may be years away from a return to its former strength. About 3,500 commercial vessels were damaged or destroyed in the hurricanes n more than 60 percent of the southeast Louisiana fleet. Docks and other critical infrastructure for the Louisiana fishing industry also were damaged or destroyed.

Overall catch levels in the Gulf are returning to pre-2005 levels. Experts are finding that fewer boats are chasing the same amount of seafood, maximizing profits in the short term for those who remain.

The hurricane-related dip for Louisiana’s fishing industry is part of a decades-long decline in the Gulf. Production and prices have been falling for years as imports from Latin America and Asia have become staples in supermarkets and restaurants.

“The big hurricane is not the hurricane itself; it’s the market that’s been hurting the fishermen in this region,” said Rex Caffey, director of the Center for Natural Resource Economics and Policy at Louisiana State University. “What we’re losing is not just jobs and income; we’re losing a large part of our culture here.”

Louisiana still brings in most of the seafood caught in the Gulf. In 2004, Louisiana fishermen brought in almost three-quarters of the entire catch in the Gulf. Preliminary statistics from 2006 show that amount dropped to two-thirds.

In dollar value, Louisiana’s share dropped from 41 percent before the storm to 38 percent in 2006.