After Isaac, fish kills reported across parish

Bruce McDonald

Sac-a-lait, catfish, bluegill bream and bass lie dead in Bayou Des Allemands after Hurricane Isaac.

After Hurricane Isaac swept through the area, major fish kills have been reported along the coastal parishes from Lafayette to Slidell.

In St. Charles, Isaac pushed water inland into Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, Lake Des Allemands and Lake Cataouatche, even causing a temporary closure of the Davis Pond Diversion in Luling. The kills are caused by a combination of saltwater intrusion and oxygen-depleted water that result whenever a hurricane makes landfall.

In Lake Des Allemands and Lake Cataouatche, the majority of fish killed were bream, sac-a-lait, bass, catfish, Asian carp and buffalo. Several fishermen in Bayou Des Allemands also scooped up the distressed fish with nets.

Bo Boehringer, the press secretary for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, said anyone picking up fish in distress should keep in mind the state regulations on size and limits.

"Also, fishermen should be cautious and not consume fish that have been dead for a while," he said.

Melissa Kaintz, the operational manager for inland waters at the LDWF, said that most of the fish kills reported across the state have been Asian carp and buffalo.

"Other fish kill reports are still coming in and any fish kills should be reported to the LDWF so that we can become aware of their location," she said. "We will be receiving reports for a while to come."

Kaintz said that oxygen-depleted waters will clear up depending on rainfall, wind direction and the lake’s resilience to recovery.

"If the Mississippi River gets rainfall, the Davis Pond Diversion will reopen," she said.