Hundreds of CCA members attending Tuesday’s Baton Rouge Luncheon Series got to see and hear firsthand why Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser has become a folk hero of sorts for his decisive actions in response to the BP oil spill. A long-time CCA member, Nungesser complimented the organization for its conservation efforts and welcomed the newly created CCA Plaquemines Chapter to his parish.

Nungesser discussed the BP spill from its earliest stage to the situation as it stands today. “The early response was horrible,” he said. “It’s better now but it’s not where it needs to be.” Nungesser said the sand berms he promoted as a means of blocking oil from entering the marshes are working. He explained the fight he had to put up to get construction of the berms approved. He thanked CCA Louisiana for being the first organization to officially support his berm-building proposal. He estimated that 6,448 acres have been impacted by the oil spill, a far larger area than reported by BP.

The spill will continue to have an impact on coastal Louisiana even after it is permanently stopped, Nungesser said. As part of a long-range response plan, Nungesser has asked BP to provide funds for barges and boom that will be deployed as pockets of oil pollution are found. He called Kenneth Feinberg, whom President Obama appointed to handle claims resulting from the spill, “the right guy for the job.”

Nungesser praised Gov. Bobby Jindal’s leadership in dealing with the spill and said Obama had helped him cut through red tape and even followed up with phone calls.

Also at the luncheon, CCA Executive Director David Cresson discussed details of a proposal for BP to fund the construction of a world-class saltwater fish hatchery system across the Louisiana coast. The proposal includes construction of three hatchery facilities that could produce 15 million to 25 million Louisiana redfish, speckled trout and flounder each year. The facilities would be built in Plaquemines Parish, Grand Isle and the Lake Charles area and will service all areas of the Louisiana Coast. CCA is working with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to convince BP to fund the project. CCA also proposes that BP should fund construction of new artificial reefs, using clean, safe recycled concrete, along the coast to help rebuild habitat that has been damaged by the spill.

Cresson also told members to be on the lookout in the coming weeks for CCA-coordinated public service announcements and advertisements on television, radio and in newspapers promoting recreational fishing in Louisiana. The theme of the campaign is: “You haven’t really fished until you’ve fished Louisiana.” The message will direct people to a website that will list all-inclusive fishing information for anyone interested in making a trip.  More than twenty of the world’s most recognizable fishing celebrities, including Gary Loomis, Kevin VanDam, Skeet Reese, Chris Fischer, Jose Wejebe, Mike Iaconelli, Ray Scott, Jimmy Houston, Greg Hackney and Roland Martin recorded messages for the project at the recent ICAST convention in Las Vegas.