The Louisiana Sea Grant Law & Policy Program assisted the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in developing the framework to allow for Alternative Oyster Culture permits. Coastal land loss and sea level rise have greatly impacted public and private oyster reefs and the environmental services they provide. This has resulted in a nearly 80 percent loss of oyster resources in Louisiana over the past 10 years - creating a severe hardship in coastal communities where oyster production is a critical stimulus to the local economy.

Alternative Oyster Culture (AOC) – where oysters are grown in suspended cages and not on the water bottom – drastically improves an oyster growers’ harvest. Oyster seed planted in cages are protected from predators, and the cages allow for “airing” of the oysters to reduce fouling and disease. With assistance from the Louisiana Sea Grant Law & Policy Program, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries approved one new AOC permit in 2016.

In Louisiana, there are an estimated 127,000-plus private ponds. Louisiana Sea Grant extension agents throughout the state field numerous calls and e-mail inquiries related to pond management.

An analysis of programming efforts indicates typical savings to clientele of $50 to $600 per acre per Extension agent contact, often through avoidance of unnecessary or ineffective herbicide treatments and unnecessary supplemental stocking, but also as a result of improved management of water quality and fish populations. If current recommendations are applied to 40 percent of Louisiana pond acreage (based on previous survey results) as a result of direct or second-hand dissemination to pond owners, savings of $0.85 million to $10.2 million are realized each year.

Turtle excluder devices (TEDs) are required by law on all shrimp fishing vessels to reduce negative impacts on endangered species. Louisiana Sea Grant and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Gear Management Team provided hands on training for crew members to gain more knowledge about TEDs, how they are to be constructed, how to check and measure them, and how to assist others in fixing any discrepancies.

During these Sea Grant-NMFS led workshops, a total of 38 shrimp boats with approximately 110 TEDs were checked for compliance. Thirty-five vessels reported no issues. Only three shrimp boats had minor issues with their turtle exclusion devices. Corrections of these issues on the three vessels through this workshop saved commercial fishing vessel owners $120,000 in potential fines.