Abstract
Most of Louisiana’s economically important saltwater fishes and crustaceans spawn in the Gulf of Mexico, but their young must use the vast coastal marsh as their nursery. Marsh management in Louisiana usually consists of emplacement of levees and water-control structures in the marsh. These structures significantly reduce fisheries production and offshore recruitment. In addition, in 1987 private entities were authorized to use 32,380 ha of the marsh for experimental mariculture, which (if successful) will likewise lead to greatly reduced natural fisheries production and offshore recruitment. Private interests also nearly succeeded in legalizing entrapment and eventual harvest of the wild fisheries from 100,000 ha, and 20,000 ha, of the marsh in 1991 and 1992, respectively. The effects of all these threats to natural fisheries production are further complicated by Louisiana's confused legal situation regarding coastal land ownership.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
Britsch, L. D. and E. B. Kemp, III. 1990. Land loss rates: Mississippi River deltaic plain. Department of the Army, Waterways Experiment Station, Corps of Engineers, Technical Report GL-90-2. Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Cahoon, D. R. and C. G. Groat (eds.). 1990. A study of marsh management practices in coastal Louisiana, Volume 1, Executive Summary. Final report submitted to Minerals Management Service, Study/MMS 90-0075. New Orleans, Louisiana.
Chabreck, R. H. 1960. Coastal marsh impoundements for ducks in Louisiana.Proceedings of the Annual Conference Southeastern Association of Game and Fish Commissioners 14(1960):24–29.
Chabreck, R. H. andC. M. Hoffpauir. 1965. The use of weirs in coastal marsh management in Louisiana.Proceedings of the Annual Conference Southeastern Association of Game and Fish Commissioners 16(1962):103–112.
Dunbar, J. B., L. D. Britsch, and E. B. Kemp, III. 1992. Land loss rates, Report 3, Louisiana Coastal Plain. Department of the Army, Waterways Experiment Station, Corps of Engineers, Technical Report GL-90-2. Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Gagliano, S. M. and K. M. Wicker. 1989. Processes of wetland erosion in the Mississippi River Deltaic Plain, p. 28–48.In W. G. Duffy and D. Clark (eds.), Marsh Management in Coastal Louisiana: Effects and Issues—Proceedings of a Symposium. United States Fish and Wildlife Service and Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. United States Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Report 89(22).
Hawxhurst, P. 1992. Wetlands protection caught in a tangled web. Your Opinions Letters.The Times Picayune. The Times-Picayune Publishing Corporation. New Orleans, La. September 8, 1992:B-4.
Herke, W. H. 1968. Weirs, potholes and fishery management, p. 193–211.In J. D. Newsom (ed.), Proceedings of the March and Estuary Management Symposium. T. J. Moran's Sons, Inc., Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Herke, W. H. 1971. Use of natural, and semi-impounded, Louisiana tidal marshes as nurseries for fishes and crustaceans. Ph.D. Dissertation, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Herke, W. H. 1977. Life history concepts of motile estuarine-dependent species should be re-evaluated. Private publication by W. H. Herke, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Herke, W. H. 1979. Some effects of semi-impoundment on coastal Louisiana fish and crustacean nursery usage, p. 325–346.In J. W. Day, Jr., D. D. Culley, Jr, R. E. Turner, and A. J. Mumphrey, Jr. (eds.), Proceedings of the Third Coastal Marsh and Estuary Management Symposium. Louisiana State University Division of Continuing Education. Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Herke, W. H. 1992. Chronology of a near disaster.Louisiana Out-of-Doors 20: 1–3.
Herke, W. H., E. E. Knudsen, P. A. Knudsen, andB. D. Rogers. 1992. Effects of semi-impoundment of Louisiana marsh on fish and crustacean nursery use and export.North American Journal of Fisheries Management 12: 151–160.
Herke, W. H. and B. D. Rogers. 1989. Threats to coastal fisheries, p. 196–212.In W. G. Duffy and D. Clark (eds.) Marsh Management in Coastal Louisiana: Effects and Issues—Proceedings of a Symposium. United States Fish and Wildlife Service and Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. United States Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Report 89 (22).
Herke, W. H., B. D. Rogers, andE. E. Knudsen. 1984. Habits and habitats of young spotted seatrout in Louisiana marshes. Research Report No. 3, School of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center. Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Herke, W. H., M. W. Wengert, andM. E. LaGory. 1987. Abundance of young brown shrimp in natural and semi-impounded marsh nursery areas: Relation to temperature and salinity.Northeast Gulf Science 9:9–28.
Knudsen, E. E. andW. H. Herke. 1978. Growth rate of marked juvenile Atlantic croakers,Micropogonias undulatus, and length of stay in a coastal marsh nursery in southwest Louisiana.Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 107:12–20.
Knudsen, P. A., W. H. Herke, andE. E. Knudsen. 1985. Emigration of brown shrimp from a low-salinity shallow-water marsh.Proceedings of the Louisiana Academy of Sciences 48:30–40.
Rogers, B. D. andW. H. Herke. 1985. Temporal patterns and size characteristics of migrating juvenile fishes and crustaceans in a Louisiana marsh. Research Report Number 5, School of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Rogers, B. D., W. H. Herke, andE. E. Knudsen. 1992a. Effects of three different water-control structures on the movements and standing stocks of coastal fishes and macrocrustaceans.Wetlands 12:106–120.
Rogers, D. R. 1989. Effects of rock and standard weirs on fish and macrocrustacean communities. M.S. Thesis, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Rogers, D. R., B. D. Rogers, andW. H. Herke. 1992b. Effects of a marsh management plan on fishery communities in coastal Louisiana.Wetlands 12:53–62.
Rosenthal, H., D. Weston, R. Gowen, andE. Black (eds.) 1988. Report of thead hoc study group on “Environmental Impact of Mariculture.” Cooperative Research Report No. 154, International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, Copenhagen, Denmark.
United States Soil Conservation Service. Undated. Application for targeted funds, coastal marsh erosion, Louisiana. Produced in the SCS State Office, Alexandria, Louisiana, about 1983.
Walker, H. J., J. M. Coleman, H. H. Roberts, andR. S. Tye. 1987. Wetland loss in Louisiana.Geografiska Annaler 69A(1987) 1:189–200.
Weaver, J. E. andL. F. Holloway. 1974. community structure of fishes and macrocrustaceans in ponds of a Louisiana tidal march [sic] influenced by weirs.Contributions in Marine Science 18:57–69.
Weinstein, M. P. 1979. Shallow marsh habitats as primary nurseries for fishes and shellfish, Cape Fear River, North Carolina.Fishery Bulletin 77:339–357.
Wilkins, J. G. andM. Wascom. 1992. The public trust doctrine in Louisiana.Louisiana Law Review 52:861–905.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
The Unit is jointly sponsored by the National Biological Survey, the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and the Wildlife Management Institute.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Herke, W.H. Natural fisheries, marsh management, and mariculture: Complexity and conflict in Louisiana. Estuaries 18, 10–17 (1995). https://doi.org/10.2307/1352279
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1352279