Rodent Invader Adds to Decline of Delta Wetlands

Photo from Greg Lasley Nature Photography

Most anglers know that Asian carp are harming this nation’s fisheries, from the Upper Midwest down to the Gulf Coast and eastward through the Ohio River watershed.

What many do not realize, however, is that another exotic also is doing severe damage. It doesn’t receive as much publicity because its range is more limited.

But down in Louisiana, the nutria, a large rodent, is devouring the wetlands, destroying spawning and nursery habitat for a multitude of important sport fisheries. In fact, the state estimates that damage at any given time is about 46,000 acres, as about 5 million of the web-footed animals with large, orange teeth feed on the roots and stalks of aquatic plants.

The good news is that damage has been lessened since Louisiana implemented a nutria control plan in 2002.

Still, this is one more blow to the Mississippi Delta, which already is under siege from decades of habitat degradation and mismanagement, most of it originating from development and water diversions. As a result, erosion and saltwater intrusion are crumbling away the equivalent of a football field every hour.

In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and its aftermath added to the peril of an ecosystem that is critical for sustaining the food web of the Gulf of Mexico.

Fortunately, the spill also provided impetus for passage of the RESTORE Act, which provides a rare opportunity to restore and enhance the Delta and its wetlands. Guiding that restoration is a multi-state, multi-agency group known as the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council.

And a coalition known as Vanishing Paradise is working to make sure that Council members remember the importance of habitat restoration, which can drive and support economic recovery.

“The people, business, communities, and economy of this region are undeniably reliant upon a healthy and productive Gulf, and ecosystem restoration should be the top priority in drafting and finagling the Council’s comprehensive restoration plan,” said spokesman Ben Weber.

To learn more about Vanishing Paradise and its efforts, go here.

And to learn more about the nutria in Louisiana, go here.

Fishing, Hunting Groups Want Gulf Ecosystem Restoration to Be Priority

More than 350 hunting and fishing businesses and organizations sent a letter to the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, asking that the Council prioritize restoration of the Gulf ecosystem in order to also achieve economic restoration in the region.

Activist Angler proudly is one of those signees.

Vanishing Paradise drafted the letter, which illustrates that hunting and fishing are major economic drivers in the Gulf and are supported by habitat restoration and wildlife conservation. In 2011, in the five Gulf states alone, nearly 8.5 million hunters and anglers spent $15.7 billion on their outdoor pursuits. This spending supports more than 255,000 jobs and generates $3.3 billion in federal, state and local taxes.

Here’s an excerpt:

“If the wild spaces of the Gulf region aren’t protected and restored, sportsmen and women will lose the return on their long-standing investment, and the region will lose its rich hunting and angling heritage.

"A restored and productive Gulf ecosystem is essential for both regional and national economic recovery and growth. Every dollar spent on ecosystem restoration helps the recovery of the Gulf’s natural resource-based economy.”

The Restoration Council is a multi-state, multi-agency group that has been tasked with developing a comprehensive ecosystem restoration plan for the Gulf. The Council is developing the plan, with a draft due for public comment this spring.

Young Pro Staffer Speaks From the Heart for Gulf Restoration

Here’s a report from Vanishing Paradise about the testimony of its youngest pro staff member during a public meeting in New Orleans. He spoke on behalf of restoration for wetlands and other fisheries habitat on the Gulf Coast.  

Nine-year-old Sean Turner waited patiently for his turn to speak. When his name was called, he marched confidently to the microphone in a room packed wall-to-wall with over 200 policy makers, state and federal agency reps, reporters, scientists, and community leaders. His comments were simple and straightforward. 

"I love to fish in Louisiana and I've done it my entire life. It's important that we're able to fish because it means so much to all of us. This is a lot of money we are talking about. Don't mess this up. I want Louisiana's coast to stay here. I don't want to lose it because of some dumb oil spill."

As he uttered the last word of the simple message that came straight from his 9-year-old heart, the entire room BURST.... I mean literally BURST into riotous applause and shouts of support. People followed him out of the room clamoring to share words of thanks, support, and encouragement.

In a room of conservation, legal, scientific and policy professionals, Sean made the most honest and meaningful statement. Subsequent speakers cited his comments as they spoke to the RESTORE council representatives. "Sean said it best. We have to get this right. We have a responsibility to do everything we can to make sure that his generation has the opportunity to experience the Louisiana we love, and to share it with their children. We have to get this right"

I couldn't be more proud of Sean and his mother Marissa. They drove from their home an hour away, on their dime, to make their feelings know and to make a statement for future generations.
And Sean did it better than anyone in the room.

Go here to learn more.

RF's Fish-A-Thon Funds Local Conservation Projects

Recycled Fish (RF) is providing more than $7,000 for local conservation projects as a result of September 24 Hour Fish-A-Thon Presented by Berkley.

For example, funds will go to help restore urban waterways in the Philadelphia area and in Alaska they will go to stop a dam. In Iowa, they will benefit the state’s Resource Enhancement and Protection program.

Money also will go toward restoration of the Mississippi Delta through Vanishing Paradise and for local distribution of RF’s Stewardship Kits through the One Million Stewards program.

Learn more here.

And go here to see how funds were distributed.

And if you don't know about Recycled Fish, you should. It's not just about catch-and-release. It's about being a good steward in all aspects of your life because we all live downstream.

Tell Congress to RESTORE Mississippi River Delta

Click on photo to like it on Facebook and support Louisiana's Coastal Master Plan.

You help still is needed to save the wetlands of the Mississippi Delta, which are critically important for healthy fish and waterfowl populations.

The Louisiana Legislature has just unanimously approved the first ever truly comprehensive blueprint for restoring those wetlands, which are eroding into the Gulf of Mexico at the rate of a football field an hour.

And here’s where you can help: Money from the federal RESTORE Act could be used to implement this Coastal Master Plan. Both the House and the Senate have passed versions of the bill, but now it is tied up in a lengthy conference process.

Tell your representatives in Congress that funding from the RESTORE Act is vital for protecting and enhancing the wetlands of the Mississippi River Delta and preserving all of the fishing and hunting that they sustain.

Vanishing Paradise says that up to 800 square miles of marshes will be restored with full implementation of the plan, while damage from floods and hurricanes will be reduced by $18 billion annually.

“Unfortunately, finding the money necessary to restore the delta and protect one of America’s most important hunting and fishing grounds will be a challenge,” it adds. “But if we don’t take action soon, an additional 1,700 square miles of wetlands could be lost over the next fifty years.”

Go here to learn more and to become an activist angler on behalf of the nation’s most valuable and endangered wetlands.