Press Releases

Today, Congressman Garret Graves (South Louisiana) and Louisiana's Congressional Delegation called for federal action to protect Louisiana's seafood industry against the ongoing impacts of record high water on the Mississippi River and the historical, two openings of the Bonnet Carre Spillway in 2019.

"The Mississippi River has surpassed a 92-year flood record, underscoring the significant management challenges associated with floodwaters and snowmelt from the 31 states and two Canadian provinces that comprise the river's 1.25 million square mile drainage basin. All of this water funnels through Louisiana before entering the Gulf of Mexico. Also, for the first time in history, the United States Army Corps of Engineers opened the Bonnet Carré Spillway in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana twice in one year to relieve pressure on the adjacent levee system. The spillway remains open, and the consequences are being felt by the recreational and commercial sectors in South Louisianians. Assistance is critical to address current and future impacts," Louisiana's Congressional Delegation said in their July 8 letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

Louisiana is the second-largest seafood supplier in the nation. One out of every 70 jobs in Louisiana is related to the seafood industry, which as a whole has an economic impact of over $2.4 billion annually for the state. Many of these jobs are in family-owned-and-operated companies that have worked for generations to bring the finest seafood to the tables of the world.[i]

Read the full letter here.