Helping the Independent Fishers of Cameron Parish Maintain Their Independence

After hurricanes Katrina & Rita, independent fishermen in Cameron Parish were devastated by the loss of their homes and their boats and fishing equipment. Their losses were compounded by the closure of many docks where they were used to selling their catches and purchasing gas and supplies at reasonable prices. After the storms, large corporate docks were buying at low prices and selling at very high markups, effectively cutting independent fishers out of the market.

Foundation for Louisiana has helped the independent fishermen of Cameron Parish to recover from the storms, build resilience into their business model and maintain their ability to support their families and contribute to Louisiana's local economy. The Foundation provided grants to assist with the cost of replacing equipment and to develop an independent fishers cooperative that has enabled the fishers to advocate as a collective for federal recovery dollars; co-own docks that can compete with those owned by large corporations; and share the expense of upgrading packaging and handling equipment and comprehensive insurance coverage.