The Louisiana seafood industry has had a rough year, and the latest issue for fisherman is the algae bloom in Lake Pontchartrain.
Lt. Governor Bill Nungesser says many seafood lover in Louisiana are asking if our seafood is safe.
“Some of the crabs they are catching are having lesions on them so it’s something we need to look at," Nungesser said. "We need to look at the health of what is being caught, but I believe that the shrimp and the Louisiana seafood that is being caught is safe.”
Salinity levels in Lake Pontchartrain as well as the Mississippi Sound have been affected and driving catchable product further offshore. Nungesser says it is important to score emergency funding for fishermen who are getting nothing right now.
“It’s going to be something we hopefully can make it through, not have a lot of these people lose their livelihoods, but it’s definitely on the line for them,” said Nungesser.
Nungesser says there is no shortage of red tape to cut through to get assistance for the seafood industry.
“When you are only working with a small, isolated area, meaning two small states effected, it’s a little harder to push this thing quickly," he said. "But we’ve got to keep trying. Failure is not an option.”