Thanks, I will contact Keith in the morning and I will post his response if he does in fact respond. Power is in numbers,everyone please let your voice be heard.

Thanks Kinchen - please make sure to ask about the re-seeding issue!

I sent the email this morning and included a question regarding re-seeding. If he does not respond within the next week or two I will send a letter on my firms letterhead to his office. I will post his response here on saltycajun.

"Crime scene tape" around my favorite oyster clumps...LOL

I emailed someone on this issue when we talked about it last year and posted his response. Forgot what he said. Maybe I can find it.

Found it! From April 2010. What a surprise. I never heard back from him.

Response I got from Patrick Banks concerning oyster dredging.


Mr. Dupuis:
I met this morning with my bosses, including Assistant Secretary Randy
Pausina, about your concerns. *We are continuing to review biological
and harvest data, and are assessing the fisheries resources in the lake.
Following the completion of that review, we will provide more
information to you. *We appreciate your concern for and interest in our
renewable natural resources in Calcasieu Lake.

Patrick Banks

Patrick D. Banks
Marine Fisheries Biologist
LDWF Marine Fisheries Division
225.765.2370
225.765.2489 (FAX)


-----Original Message-----
From: Seth Dupuis [mailto:sethdupuis2002@yahoo.com]
Sent: Sunday, April 11, 2010 8:11 PM
To: Banks, Patrick
Subject: Oyster Dredging

Mr Banks
Please do something about the oyster dredging on Big Lake. It is going *
to ruin our fishing habitats. They are everywhere!
Thank you
Seth Dupuis

Sent from my iPhone

Email him again and include his response from last year. Ask him if they have enough data now since if left unchecked, there will be no reefs left to gather data from!!! Sending my email with cc's to all involved when I get back to the office.

EMAIL:
Patrick Banks
pbanks@wlf.la.gov
Oyster Division

Try this guy too. I'll post his response if I receive one. I attached the original email along with this:

Mr Banks,
Just wondering if you guys are done with your assessment. I received this response from you almost a year ago. Was just wondering if you have some new information on this issue. The reefs that were dredged in the lake are now no more. No re-seeding has been done. Please let me know any recent information you have on this issue that is concerning myself along with 100s of others in the Calcasieu Lake fishing community.
Seth Dupuis

Guys. I haven't been on salty for a few days things have just been kinda crazy with life and school. Specifically what all are you guys looking for answers to? Do you want to just change legislation to slow down oyster harvesting with the tongs vs. the dredging? Or are we looking more toward trying to rebuild what the oystermen have messed up? Or both? I can see what I can do and find out who to talk to about your concerns. We mainly deal with oyster farming, but I can talk to my boss and see who would be the best people to start talking to.

I spoke with someone about the issue today. I don't think they were truly aware of the "feelings" about the oyster dredging. He talked about possible setting up some meetings to have some discussion on the matter to try and resolve this.

Probably the only way to make any changes will be legislatively. That said, like mutt said, what do we want to accomplish?

They have harvested almost 3 times what they did last year. Also, the fire line has been okayed to move north, somewhere around the first set of weirs, but has not been moved yet.

I am not against anyone making a living on the lake, but there needs to be some comprimise somewhere. Perhaps something along the line of how the red snapper harvest is done.

Also, I beleive it would be nice to have CCA involved in this.

Do we have any contacts in CCA? Did you talk to someone on the oyster task force or someone who works for LDWF? I have never been to Calcasieu Lake but I'd willing to help with this to the best of my ability. Do we have numbers or proof somewhere that these reefs aren't naturally replenishing themselves, or are we a bunch of fishermen that are mad because our best spots are being taken? I want to be a part of this regardless of which, but dealing with the science community they are taught to be skeptical of everything you tell them. Meetings sound like it would be the best way to concentrate everyone's effort on this so that we could get someone of importance to the oyster community to listen. Maybe we could contact someone from CCA and get them to correlate it for us. My boss is on the oyster task force ill talk to him and see if he can help point us to the right person to talk to.

IMO.....if you get them involved.....They will try to take all the credit for anything that is done.

Don't think it matters who takes credit...if it gets stopped is all that matters

Good point, and I think we should learn more about this and get some numbers before trying to go forth with something we have no idea about :redface: That way if something does happen you can have evidence and go in with some legitimate arguments. I was waiting on you to chime in on this, seems you have the contacts to find the info

I agree, hell Ducks Unlimited or Quail Unlimited to take credit for it as long as it gets done:D

Anyone know where I can get a sack of oysters?

CCA has already had discussions with LDWF about this issue. LDWF has done nothing. Hell even a select few existing oyster fisherman have plead with LDWF because they can see the writing on the wall that if nothing is done, they will be out of a job. Still nothing done yet.

I want someone from the scientific community to show me on paper/power point presentation that what is happening right now is beneficial to the estuary! All we have been Told is; "dredging is helpful to the reefs". Controled burning is helpful to the forest but the optimal word is "CONTROLED" not rampant Harvest. I am not a mental heavy weight but can assure you that is it takes three years for an oyster to grow to maturity to harvest and nothing is left on the reefs currently, something is wrong. I would also bet that undersized oysters are being kept and sold and the powers that be consider it collateral damage. Forgive me for not knowing this but, who are our state representatives for the Lake Charles/Cameron area? These fellows need to hear from us also whether phone or email. Someone please post up this information so we can get them involved.

Best Regards,

Raymond Little

NOPE, I gottem in the O.P.P., OYSTER PROTECTION PROGRAM

i get mine from tony's in baton rouge if your from a coastal community its prolly easier to get them from someone who sells them off the boat. If not I'd try google.