- 2014 NOAA Economic Survey shows that the recreational fishing industry in Louisiana creates over 15,000 direct jobs and has a total economic impact to Louisiana of $1.02 Billion/annually.
- The recreational and commercial fishing industry are vitally important to Louisiana’s citizens, state tourism, and its economy.
- LaSC fully recognizes and acknowledges private property ownership rights, and it wants to explore ways to allow the public use of certain waterbottoms for fishing by the public, while addressing issues and concerns that private property owners may have about adverse ownership, claims, legal liability, etc.
- LaSC believes that legislation can be created that can address the issue of public access while simultaneously addressing landowner’s concerns over ownership, liability, and other possible issues.
- For generations, the coastal and inland waterbottoms of the state have been a natural resource that all of Louisiana’s citizens have shared and benefited from. Only recently, due to concerns of liability and adverse ownership claims, have private landowners started to restrict the public’s access to areas that the public has used and had access to for many decades.
- Private restrictions to public access to former publically accessible waterbottoms is getting more and more common, and the time to act is now.
- Please contact your local state legislator and parish officials and express your concern about this growing problem, and ask for their help in finding a solution.