New Orleans Post Hurricane Katrina
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries this week is set to distribute $27 million in federal relief to more than 8,000 members of the commercial fishing industry in the New Orleans area. The funds are the first direct aid specifically targeted to fishermen since Hurricane Katrina. Each sector of the industry, including shrimp, crab, oyster, crawfish, menhaden and finfish distributors, will receive varying payments based on contribution to the overall value of the state’s seafood industry. The department divided fishermen into categories based on their share of the catch. Everyone gets at least $50, and each would get higher payments - from $250 to more than $4,000 - based on the amount of seafood they brought to shore before Katrina. Those who are in multiple fisheries, such as shrimping and crabbing, could qualify for payouts under both sectors. The funds were part of the $41 million fisheries aid package approved by Congress in last summer’s emergency supplemental bill. The rest of the money will go to programs for recreational fishermen, including research and infrastructure projects such as fishing piers and docks, and toward administrative costs.