Boycott the S.T.A.R.: CCA Failed to protect Oysters in Big Lake

[MathGeek]

I was studying the Callihan thesis more carefully (I am a geek, right?) and I came across his analysis of whether artificial reefs, like those constructed by CCA contribute to increasing ecosystem productivity or merely aggregate specks to make them easier to catch. (It is well known that the ecosystem services and habitat provided by oyster reefs increase production.)

Although the artificial reefs I studied were deployed as mitigation for the destruction of natural oyster reefs, many similar reefs are being deployed in Louisiana’s estuaries. These projects are typically funded by private conservation organizations under the presumption that artificial reefs will benefit important fishery resources. However, my data suggest these reefs could have a negative impact on sportfish, at least spotted seatrout, by aggregating fish and thus increasing their vulnerability to exploitation via increased catch efficiency. Clearly, state management agencies throughout the GOM should consider this possibility when deciding to grant permission for the deployment of additional artificial reefs in inshore estuarine waters. - Callihan PhD Thesis p. 283 (LSU 2011)

It is notable that CCA is spending millions to restore oyster reefs in Texas, but in Louisiana, their efforts have been geared toward restricting harvest limits (while letting oyster reefs get destroyed by dredging), increasing license fees, and building much cheaper artificial reefs.