Fishermen happy for reopening of some Louisiana waters affected by oil spill
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Courier] By Jonathan Olivier - December 15, 2014 -
Commercial fishermen are once again harvesting Gulf seafood off the coasts of Elmer’s and Grand Terre islands, an area that’s been closed due to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries reopened state waters surrounding the islands, some of the areas most significantly oiled, near Grand Isle Dec. 10. The waters off the islands were recently only open to recreational angling and charter boat fishing. Commercial fishing, as well as recreational shrimping, crabbing and oystering, were closed.
For coastal fisherman, the wait has been long and much anticipated.
“It’s a very big deal,” said Dean Blanchard, owner of Dean Blanchard Seafood in Grand Isle. “That’s been one of our primary fishing grounds for the last 50 years.”
When Blanchard’s vessel captains heard of the news, they immediately made arrangements to get out to their old, reliable fishing area to test the waters.
“They are out there fishing now,” Blanchard said.
The first day back, one of Blanchard’s boats, the Master Devin, piloted by James Santiny, caught a few thousand pounds of shrimp...
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