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CCA Louisiana opposes LNG terminals that kill marine life |
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The Coastal Conservation Association of Louisiana is calling on President Bush, the U.S. Department of Transportation and members of the Louisiana congressional delegation to deny permitting any offshore Liquefied Natural Gas terminals that damage marine fisheries, especially redfish, Louisiana ’s most prized marine gamefish.
“We support development of our energy resources and in no way are opposed to LNG facilities in the Gulf of Mexico , as long as they do not have a detrimental effect on marine life,” said Jeff Angers, executive director of CCA Louisiana. “We understand that a Louisiana terminal proposal presently under review by the Department of Transportation contains an ‘open-loop’ system that would kill billions of fish eggs each year.”
According to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, the proposed terminal would use 136 million gallons of seawater per day in its operation. The water will contain billions of fish eggs, larvae and zooplankton, which will be killed in the process. That translates to a loss of 11.5 percent of Louisiana ’s redfish landings or, put another way, 1 million pounds of lost redfish a year.
LNG terminals can be constructed using “closed-loop” systems, which are more costly but reduce the significant loss of marine life that occurs with “open-loop” systems. CCA is not raising objections to LNG terminals that use the more environmentally friendly closed-loop systems.
“Studies have placed the economic impact of recreational fishing for redfish in Louisiana at $298 million and supporting 3,000 jobs,” Angers said. “The redfish is the emblem of our association, which numbers over 30,000 members and volunteers in Louisiana . We strongly oppose any operation that will severely damage this cherished marine resource that is so important to our state.”
Walter Fondren, chairman of CCA, sent a letter to President Bush this week explaining the national organization’s opposition to the proposed open-loop LNG facility.
“The use of the open-loop system may result in mortality that is the equivalent of 11.5 percent of the total recreational harvest in Louisiana —or 8.5 percent of the redfish harvest in the entire Gulf,” Fondren said in his letter. “The long-term impact on redfish conservation could set back marine conservation to the time of purse seiners and wholesale slaughter of redfish brood stock.”
CCA Louisiana is sending letters of opposition to open-loop LNG terminals to members of the Louisiana congressional delegation and is asking its members to do likewise.
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