| "It was clear we needed to stop this loss of habitat." | |
| Dr. Chuck Wilson, Louisiana State University |
|
One of the unexpected benefits of Louisiana's offshore oil and gas industry has been the creation of one of the world's most extensive de facto artificial reef systems. When federal regulations began requiring the removal of obsolete platforms, the resulting loss of fish habitat inspired the state to establish a program turning those oil rigs into reefs.
"People would go out fishing, only to find that their favorite fishing spot was gone," says Dr. Chuck Wilson, professor and chair of the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Studies at Louisiana State University. "It was clear we needed to stop this loss of habitat."
The resulting plan, which was developed in the early '80s with the consensus of government agencies, the oil and gas industry, commercial and recreational fishermen, and academia, saves the oil and gas industry money, puts cash in the state's coffers, and preserves fish habitat and fishing opportunities.
"It's your classic win/win situation," says Rick Kasprzak, Louisiana's Artificial Reef Program coordinator.
The state's offshore oil and gas industry began in 1947, and since then, more than 4,500 platforms have been installed along Louisiana's shoreline. Wilson says that over 70 percent of recreational and commercial fishing trips end up at one of these structures. He notes 10,000 to 30,000 fish typically can be found around a single platform in water depths between 100 and 600 feet. "We're finding 50 to 60 times more fish around a platform than in adjacent open waters."
Federal regulations, however, require that these structures be removed within one year after the lease is terminated. From 1973 to 1993, more than 1,115 platforms were removed from the Gulf of Mexico.
In 1986, the Louisiana Fishing Enhancement Act was signed into law, creating the Louisiana Artificial Reef Program. Since the program's inception, Kasprzak says 30 different petroleum companies have participated, donating 97 structures that have been placed in waters 100 to 300 feet deep. The participating companies also contributed 50 percent of what they would have spent to remove the platforms, which means more than $16.2 million has been deposited in the state's Artificial Reef Trust Fund. The monies in the trust are used to fund the program.
"Once the platforms have been taken out, they're gone. An oil company isn't going to pay to put it back, so you have to take advantage of the material while it's out there," Kasprzak says.
Wilson notes, "This is the ultimate example of coastal management because we got everybody with an interest together ... and determined the best way to have this work. This has been a great marriage between government, industry, and academia."
For more information on the Louisiana Artificial Reef Program, point your browser to www.wlf.state.la.us. You may also contact Rick Kasprzak at (225) 765-2375 or kasprzak_ra@wlf.state.la.us, or Dr. Chuck Wilson at (225) 578-6283 or cwilson@lsu.edu.
