H.B. 156

[Raymond]

Representative Stephen Dwight of Lake Charles has introduced House Bill 156, legislation that would limit oyster harvest in Calcasieu Lake and Sabine Lake to tonging only, and remove scrapers (dredges) as an allowable harvest method. Coastal Conservation Association of Louisiana supports Rep. Dwight?s efforts to restore the decimated Calcasieu Lake oyster resource, while preserving the resource in Sabine Lake.

Calcasieu was a prolific oyster producing lake until the mid 2000s, when scrapers were first allowed as a method of harvest by the Louisiana Legislature. Since then, the oyster population has plummeted. In fact, in 2003 there were nearly 1.2 million sacks of oysters available in the harvest areas of Calcasieu Lake. Today, there are fewer than 100,000 sacks available. Both the eastern and western harvest areas currently have less than 20% of their long-term average stock size.

Support it if you wish but, this is our last/best chance to restore our reefs in our life time. The bill will probably not get a vote until June and anyone with a stake on the outcome should try to attend.

It's put up or shut up time