How climate change initiatives could impact one of the nation’s top commercial fishing hubs - “Water’s Edge” (Part 4)

In part 4 of “Water’s Edge,” small, long-standing fishing communities throughout Bayous are concerned about the state’s impending sediment diversion projects. Small-scale commercial fishermen make their living on seasonal shrimp, crab, fin fish and oysters in the brackish marshes south of New Orleans. These estuaries will soon be flooded with an influx of sediment-laden freshwater from the Mississippi River, which will help reinforce the earth throughout the wetlands over time, but will drive saltwater-dwelling marine life further into the Gulf. Without the means to buy larger boats and obtain permits to fish in the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico, many commercial fishermen fear their legacy is coming to an end.April 1, 2019