LA Oyster Task Force on Cancelation of Diversion Project: Victory for LA's Working Coast

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On behalf of thousands of hardworking Louisianians who make their living on the water, the Louisiana Commercial Fisheries Coalition extends our deepest gratitude to Governor Jeff Landry for his decisive leadership in canceling the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project.

This decision is more than a policy shift—it’s a lifeline for the families who have depended on Louisiana’s fisheries for generations. By halting a flawed and dangerous project, Governor Landry has chosen to protect the people, culture, and economy that form the heart of our working coast.

For years, commercial fishermen and coastal communities have raised the alarm about the threats posed by the Mid-Barataria diversion. The science is clear: unleashing trillions of gallons of freshwater into productive saltwater estuaries would have devastated Louisiana’s commercial fishing industry, upending the delicate balance that allows life—and livelihoods—to flourish in our coastal bays and wetlands.

The voices of shrimpers, oyster harvesters, menhaden processors, crabbers, and finfish fishermen were too often overlooked in past discussions. But Governor Landry listened. He understood that a project marketed as “restoration” would in fact destroy vital ecosystems and the communities that rely on them. He took a bold stand for working people and rural families when it mattered most.

Consider what was at stake:

Louisiana's oyster industry
Shrimpers
Blue crabs
Menhaded fishing
Finfish species

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Let’s be clear: Louisiana’s commercial fisheries are not anti-restoration. We understand the value of protecting our coast. We’ve supported marsh creation, shoreline stabilization, and sediment pipeline projects that restore wetlands without harming the fisheries that depend on them. Real restoration can and should work in harmony with the people who live and work on the coast—not against them.

What we cannot support are massive engineering experiments with billion-dollar price tags that gamble with our way of life. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion was never the right answer—and Governor Landry had the courage to say so.

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In canceling this project, Governor Landry has reaffirmed that the voices of working people still matter in this state—and that science, sustainability, and common sense must guide our coastal future.

We thank the Governor not just for what he stopped, but for what he saved: a vibrant industry, a centuries-old way of life, and the families who rise before dawn every day to fish the waters of this great state. His decision ensures that Louisiana’s seafood industry can continue to provide jobs, feed families, and uphold a tradition that is both economically vital and uniquely ours—for this generation and the next.

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