Sample Letter RE: Oyster Issue

[ckinchen]

A very concerned friend of mine wanted to draft a template that can be used or modified to contact the powers that be regarding the over harvesting of oysters as has been mentioned here in several threads. If you do plan to participate in contacting the LDWF we wanted to put together a template that can be used and or modified. Of course feel free to say whatever you feel comfortable in communicating but the idea was to make it easy for people that are busy if they want to be involved and do not have the time to draft an email on the issue.

Myself and others have already contacted several people at LDWF and as of this evening I am not aware of anyone receiving a response. I did include the question of reseeding in my original email.

I realize this is a controversial issue so I do not want to push this on anyone but if you are concerned about our lake and believe like I do that over dredging is hurting our estuary, any help that you can give will be appreciated. The optional sample email is located below along with various emails addresses of officials that have been contacted.

Regards,


klacaze@wlf.louisiana.gov
rpausina@wlf.louisiana.gov
pbanks@wlf.la.gov



[SIZE=3]Dear Sir,[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]I am a lifelong resident of Louisiana and would like to voice my extreme displeasure with the actions of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Oyster Task [/SIZE][SIZE=3]Force. Calcasieu Lake is in my backyard and provides many recreational opportunities [/SIZE][SIZE=3]as well as commercial income for our area. For the last two years, oyster dredging has [/SIZE][SIZE=3]exploded to the extent that many reefs have become barren. Calcasieu Lake has become [/SIZE][SIZE=3]a modern day gold rush, with boat after boat dragging the reefs for calcified gold. With [/SIZE][SIZE=3]most of the areas in the southern part of the lake barren, the agency charged with monitoring our oyster resources have compounded the problem by increasing the number[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]of reef resources that can be pillaged.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]If you have not noticed, I have referred to our lake and reefs as resources several times. [/SIZE][SIZE=3]It is my understanding that the government agency charged with protecting our natural resources is exactly the same one allowing wholesale destruction of the heart of our lakes [/SIZE][SIZE=3]Ecosystem. When will enough damage be done to the reefs that oyster season will have to [/SIZE][SIZE=3]be closed again? Will next year bring about the opening up of more area to be pillaged [/SIZE][SIZE=3]since there are no longer enough oysters left in the other parts of the estuary?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]I respectfully await your reply to these pressing questions.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Sincerely Yours,[/SIZE]



[SIZE=3] [/SIZE]

[ckinchen]

My orginal email had some format issus, this version is still not justified correctly but I think after you copy and paste it you should be able to work with it.

Dear Sir,

I am a lifelong resident of Louisiana and would like to voice my extreme displeasure with the actions of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Oyster Task
Force. Calcasieu Lake is in my backyard and provides many recreational opportunities as well as commercial income for our area. For the last two years, oyster dredging has
exploded to the extent that many reefs have become barren. Calcasieu Lake has becocme a modern day gold rush, with boat after boat dragging the reefs for calcified gold. With
most of the areas in the southern part of the lake barren, the agency charged with monitoring our oyster resources have compounded the problem by increasing the number
of reef resources that can be pillaged.

If you have not noticed, I have referred to our lake and reefs as resources several times. It is my understanding that the government agency charged with protecting our natural resources is exactly the same one allowing wholesale destruction of the heart of our lakes Ecosystem. When will enough damage be done to the reefs that oyster season will have to be closed again? Will next year bring about the opening up of more area to be pillaged since there are no longer enough oysters left in the other parts of the estuary?

I respectfully await your reply to these pressing questions.

Sincerely Yours,

[jlincecum]

very nice, thanks casey

[LaAngler]

very nice thank you sir

[Gottogo49]

I had a similar correspondence with Mr. Banks almost a year ago.
Unfortunately, it did not go very far. I also had correspondence with Mr. Randy Lancot with the Louisiana Wildlife Federation. It is my understanding that the Sabine reef was originally closed to commercial oystering due to fecal coliform contamination. That seems to me to be the only thing that will shut down commercial oystering. I copied my e-mails below. Sorry they are rather lengthy but interesting.
I will send copies of your letter to the WLF contacts and to Mr. Lanctot.
Thanks, keep up the fight.

From Patrick Banks
Mr. Gott:

I appreciate your comments and concerns. I think we both share the same
love for our fishery resources. I wanted you to know that I am trying
to get a more robust response out to you and to others who have
contacted me. I am hopeful a response will be authorized soon by my
bosses. Thanks for your patience.

Patrick

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

-----Original Message-----
From: George Gott
Sent: Friday, April 23, 2010 9:03 AM
To: Banks, Patrick
Subject: Re: Calcasieu Lake Oyster Dredging

My methods are very unscientific but most every reef that I fish no
longer has solid oysters only a scattered few.
Please do some actual sampling not just depend estimates based on the
reported harvest figures.
I think that the problem will pretty soon take care of itself because
there won't be enough oysters left to
support commercial harvesting.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Calcasieu Lake Oyster Dredging
From: Banks, Patrick <pbanks@wlf.la.gov>
To: George Gott
Date: 4/15/2010 11:24 AM

Thanks for your confidence and your response. Once I get all the
biological and harvest information together, I think you will see that we work diligently to monitor the situation and moderate harvest when necessary. In short, we've estimated that less than 15% of the
available oyster resource has been harvested this season (the total
harvest, however, a bit higher than normal for Calcasieu). As you

know

> from your experience there, Calcasieu Lake has a tremendous oyster
> population. Thanks again and we'll be in touch soon.
>
> Patrick
>
> Patrick D. Banks
> Marine Fisheries Biologist
> LDWF Marine Fisheries Division
> 225.765.2370
> 225.765.2489 (FAX)
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: George Gott
> Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2010 11:08 AM
> To: Banks, Patrick
> Subject: Re: Calcasieu Lake Oyster Dredging
>
> > Thanks for your all your hard work. I trust that you will do what is
> best for the resource.
>
> George Gott
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Re: Calcasieu Lake Oyster Dredging
> From: Banks, Patrick <pbanks@wlf.la.gov>
> To: George Gott
> Date: 4/15/2010 10:45 AM
>
>> Mr. Gott:

>>
>> 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: George Gott
>> Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2010 10:34 AM
>> To: Banks, Patrick
>> Subject: Calcasieu Lake Oyster Dredging
>>
>> Please stop Calcasieu Lake Oyster Dredging. They are destroying all
>>

> of
>

>> the reefs. Thanks
>>
>>

From Randy Lanctot
Thanks George for the comment. The Louisiana Wildlife Federation is
currently following its decision-making process to determine its formal
position on designation of the Sabine Reef as an oyster sanctuary.
Regarding additional (to Sabine Reef) oyster sanctuaries, it would be
possible to designate such. There would have to be sound rationale for
doing so and it would require action by the Louisiana Wildlife &
Fisheries Commission and/or the Louisiana Legislature to establish an
oyster sanctuary on public (state) waterbottoms. I am not familiar with
Commissary Point on Calcasieu Lake. If it is currently being harvested
and is a public oyster ground, it would be more difficult to take out of
production. A strong case would have to be made that it is more
valuable in terms of ecosystem services and other public benefits (storm
surge buffering, erosion control, water quality, habitat for other
marine life with significant economic and/or ecosystem value, etc.)
unharvested compared to the harvested condition at the level of harvest
currently being allowed. I think it is important for any designation of
sanctuary in coastal waters to be part of a plan for managing coastal
resources and not just an effort to swap the value of oyster production
for the value of fish/fishing habitat. If the establishment of oyster
"reefs" to help protect the shorelines of marshland, headlands and
barrier islands from erosion becomes more common as a coastal
restoration/protection strategy, it is likely that designating them as
oyster sanctuaries will be part of the process. - Randy

Randy P. Lanctot
Executive Director
Louisiana Wildlife Federation
phone/fax 225/344-6707
www.lawildlifefed.org


-----Original Message-----
From: George Gott
Sent: Sunday, December 05, 2010 8:02 PM
To: randy@lawildlifefed.org
Subject: Sabine oyster reef

Mr. Lanctot
I would urge you to vote to preserve the Sabine oyster reef.
Would it be possible to establish a similar reef area (possibly -
Commissary Point) that is closed to oyster harvest on Calcasieu lake as
well?
Thanks,
George Gott

[Raymond]

The responses from wlf seem to be well thought out and very similar, wonder why???
P Banks is regurgitating what his bosses tell him to say. I would like to know who is on the oyster reef busting task farce? Most issue are very simple,just follow the MONEY.

[Duck Butter]

We need DATA! Someone needs to dig up some NUMBERS. Without some hard data and facts, this issue is gonna go nowhere. I have some 'oyster people' I will get in touch with and see about some hard numbers. Just being a concerned fisherman is not gonna get anywhere. With fish, game, shrimp, oysters, managers come up with a sustainable harvest where the population will not plummet after a harvest, the population sustains itself. I will see if I can dig up some numbers

["W"]

Let's keep these emails going guys and pound them hard... I will post my reply when I get around my desktop.. I think we can change it!!! Keep hammering

[LaAngler]

really need legal rep to do anything, the fox is in the henhouse

[Wag]

I think the governor needs to be added to the list also .... couldn't hurt

[Wag]

Here is how you can contact the gov....

http://www.gov.louisiana.gov/index.c...email_governor

[cmdrost]

Originally Posted by LaAngler

really need legal rep to do anything, the fox is in the henhouse

Rep. Blade Morrish has been very "fisheries" friendly in the past when it comes to Big Lake. Send him a letter.

[Wag]

Thanks Chinchen for the contact info and form letter. I modified mine a little bit, and sent email to the people you posted plus the governor of the state. Of course, this is a matter where the squeky wheel gets all the lube, so the more people to get involved the better of our chances of being heard.

["W"]

Originally Posted by cmdrost

Rep. Blade Morrish has been very "fisheries" friendly in the past when it comes to Big Lake. Send him a letter.

I know Dan personally...talked to Chris his son last night.....I will talk with Dan on Monday.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by "W"

I know Dan personally...talked to Chris his son last night.....I will talk with Dan on Monday.

Why?, today is Thursday do it today or Friday.

["W"]

Originally Posted by Raymond

Why?, today is Thursday do it today or Friday.

Because I'm too busy right now...I'm in Houston TX

[mikedatiger]

I am sure there are multiple items to consider/approvals required, etc., but can't we do something on our own with regards to re-seeding? i.e. if we get the proper approvals I am sure enough people would donate money to make it a worthwhile effort. I know I would. Granted it's not the optimal solution but it's a start...

IMO this would be a great way for us to band together and contribute to something we all love and enjoy. In the meantime I will send my letters.

[Raymond]

Good idea Micah but I prefer there to be a percentage of the license taken and used for reseeding by and independent agency. It should be mandatory for the oystermen to pay for reseeding the reefs through a portion of their license since they are reaping the rewards.

["W"]

I'm shooting for tong only

[Ray]

Tonging only and only 1 license per person, not 1 license per boat.
I know one guy in Cameron who has 5 licensed Oyster boats, with dredges.

If we all take a dump over the side, maybe we can get the fecal count up and stop the harvest. Eat lots of Crawfish, Prunes, Bud... ect. the night before fishing.