ENROLLED
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 26
BY REPRESENTATIVE COUSSAN
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To urge and request the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) to conduct
a study to determine the final destination of oyster shells removed from Louisiana
waters and submit a written report of its findings to the House Committee on Natural
Resources and Environment not later than January 5, 2022.
WHEREAS, oysters contribute to healthy estuarine ecosystems by providing habitat
for a variety of commercially and ecologically important species; and
WHEREAS, oysters are a valuable commodity owned by the state of Louisiana on
its leased water bottom and public oyster seed grounds throughout the coastal area; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana oysters are a commercially valuable species that have an
economic impact of more than three hundred million dollars annually; and
WHEREAS, oyster reefs protect the coast against storm surge while simultaneously
reducing coastal erosion; and
WHEREAS, natural oyster reefs in the Northern Gulf of Mexico have steeply
declined from historic levels by fifty to eighty-five percent and are further threatened by
climate change impacts and changing conditions in the ecosystem including changes in
salinity, land loss, flooding events, hurricanes, and storm events; and
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WHEREAS, the oyster population and their harvest is recognized as culturally,
economically, and environmentally valuable by ongoing work by the Louisiana Trustee
Implementation Group, the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration (RESTORE) Council and the
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation including the P&J Oyster Company and numerous
oyster lease holder families; and
WHEREAS, oyster reefs, as shoreline protections, are recognized as an important
method of restoration and protection against land loss as identified in the Louisiana Coastal
Protection and Restoration Authority Coastal Master Plan and the LDWF Oyster
Management Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana's (CRCL) Oyster Shell
Recycling Program has prevented nearly ten million pounds of shell from entering landfills
through recycling shell from New Orleans metro area restaurants since 2014; and
WHEREAS, recycled shell collected from shucking houses and restaurants is
currently being used by the CRCL, the LDWF, and oyster farmers to rebuild oyster reefs for
protection, habitat improvements, and harvest-related activities; and
WHEREAS, oyster shells are a valuable commodity owned by the state of Louisiana
that should not be wasted; and
WHEREAS, oyster shell is a superior substrate for use in remote setting, clutching,
and reef restoration activities; and
WHEREAS, oyster shell is also a valuable substrate for projects to build coastal
resilience; and
WHEREAS, a study to determine how much shell is diverted to landfills or
transported out of state has not been conducted in the past sixteen years.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to conduct a study to
determine how many oyster shells are recycled or reused, transported out of state, or go into
Louisiana landfills.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study shall determine what steps the agency
recommends to further divert shells from landfills and into Louisiana waters to benefit the
coastal ecosystem, coastal restoration, and protection, and to encourage oyster reef
propagation.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and
Fisheries shall submit a written report of its findings to the House Committee on Natural
Resources and Environment and the Senate Committee on Natural Resources not later than
January 5, 2022.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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