Governor
Bobby Jindal has received confirmation from U.S. Commerce
Secretary M. Carlos Gutierrez that a formal fishery resource
disaster in the Gulf of Mexico has been declared due to the
devastation of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.
The declaration,
prompted by the governor’s Sept. 5 letter that began
the Hurricane Gustav recovery effort, sets in motion provisions
of the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act that authorize assistance
to fishermen affected by natural disasters. This action also
makes small fishing businesses eligible for certain Small
Business Administration loans.
“Our fishing
industry has sustained another set back, that may well be
as formidable as the impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita,
and this action begins the early response initiatives,”
said Governor Jindal. “The Department of Wildlife and
Fisheries will coordinate the use of recovery funds provided
through this process. We know more help will be needed, but
this is a necessary first step.”
Commercial fishing
in the affected areas consists mostly of finfish, shrimp and
oysters. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
will work with the states to further assess damage to the
major fishing ports and the seafood processing facilities
in Louisiana and Texas.
The initial affected
areas under today's declaration are Texas and Louisiana. DOC/NOAA
will continue to work with the region to assess the impacts
of the storm in other areas of the Gulf.
“The economic
impacts of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike on fishing communities
in the Gulf of Mexico will hurt these communities,”
Gutierrez said. “We have a lot of work to do, but this
disaster determination is an important step in the recovery
process.”
NOAA’s Fisheries
Service will work with the states to distribute any funds
appropriated in response to this determination.
“Working
with the fishing industry and NOAA, we will assess the damage
to our fishing resources and move quickly to deliver recovery
funds where needed,” said Robert Barham, Louisiana Department
of Wildlife and Fisheries secretary.
