L.D.W.F.
To Begin Fisheries Recovery Project In Hurricane Impacted
Areas
Posted:
4/19/06
The Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Inland Fisheries
Division will begin stocking hurricane-impacted waterways
this month as part of the department's Operation Jumpstart.
Inland
Fisheries staff has targeted areas affected by Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita as the highest priority in the division's
annual fish stocking program. Katrina created massive fish
kills in the southeastern part of the state by raising salinity
levels and churning up decaying vegetation that deprived many
water bodies of oxygen.
LDWF biologists
and technicians will stock Phase 1 Florida largemouth bass
that are one inch in length and produced by LDWF's Booker
Fowler Fish Hatchery, south of Alexandria. These fish are
expected to grow to eight inches after their first year and
11 to 12 inches in year two.
"Our
personnel have been assessing the impacted areas to ensure
that the water bodies can sustain a largemouth bass population,"
LDWF inland fisheries biologist program manager Joey Shepard
said. "We look at salinity levels, water quality and
the food source for the largemouth bass to help us decide
if a water body is ready for a bass stocking."
Most Hurricane
Rita damaged water bodies in the southwest part of the state
still have not returned to pre-storm conditions that would
support a bass stocking effort. The exception, at this time,
is the Calcasieu River which will be among the first rivers
stocked during Operation Jumpstart. Rivers recover more quickly
than lakes because they have a continuous flow, which removes
salinity and improves oxygen levels faster.
"We
have not overlooked any area that needs more fish, but some
areas received less damage and recover quicker than others,"
Shepard said. "We don't want to stock bass in an area
where they have little to no chance of survival at this time
when we have other areas that are ready and in need."
LDWF has
scheduled 63 initial bass stockings statewide this spring
and requested over 6.3 million bass from the Booker Fowler
Fish Hatchery. Once the hurricane impacted areas receive their
fish stock, LDWF will complete the annual program goals state
wide. The Louisiana Bass Federation and the Association of
Louisiana Bass Clubs will assist with the stockings.
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