LUMCON Executive Director Testifies for the House Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans
March 24, 2006LUMCON Executive Director, Dr. Nancy N. Rabalais, presented testimony to a congressional field hearing on March 21, 2006, in Gretna, Louisiana. The hearing for the House Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans was chaired by Honorable Wayne Gilchrest, R-MD. The purpose of the hearing was to hear about issues of the 2005 hurricane damage to Gulf of Mexico fishery resources and steps to aid in recovery. Louisiana Congressmen Bobby Jindal and Charlie Melancon, representing Louisiana Congressional Districts 1 and 3, respectively, were in attendance in support of Representative Gilchrest.
The hearing was composed of four panels:
Parish presidents represented by Benny Rousselle, Plaquemines and Charlotte Randolph, LafourcheFederal and state agencies represented by VAdm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., NOAA; Dr. Gregory J. Smith, Director, USGS National Wetlands Research Center; John Roussel, Assistant Secretary, LaDWF; William S. “Corky” Perret, Director, Marine Fisheries, MS Dept of Marine Resources
Fishing interests represented by Mike Voisin, Motivated Seafood, Inc.; Harlon Pearce, Jr., Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board; Allen Walker, Gulf Productions, Inc.; Jeff Angers, Coastal Conservation Association Louisiana; Mr. Joseph L. von Rosenberg III, Omega Protein
Academic represented by Dr. Don Boesch, President, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Studies; Dr. Nancy N. Rabalais, Executive Director, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium Following the hearing, the committee members and guests watched a presentation by nature photographer C. C. Lockwood. Lockwood is an active documenter of Louisiana’s coast and recently coauthored a book with artist Rhea Gary that looks at Louisiana’s vanishing coast through photography and artwork. Dr. Rabalais’ testimony (pdf. document).