Lafitte shrimper Ronald Dufrane and his wife Jan rode out Hurricane Ida on their boat the Mister Jug. They had to watch as all their equipment washed away from the tidal surge. Photo: Ronald Dufrane
by JEDCO and Ed Lallo/Gulf Seafood News Editor
Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission (JEDCO), in partnership with the Town of Jean Lafitte, is hosted “Focus on our Fishermen”. The evening event on Tuesday, November 9th at the Jean Lafitte Civic Center provided fishermen and fisheries-related businesses access to tools and resources that can guide to recovery from Hurricane Ida.
The town of Jean Lafitte lay directly in the path of the Category Four hurricane. Almost every dock, processor and boat suffered damage from the storm. In addition fishermen lost their homes, cars and livelihood.
“Fishing and seafood businesses are key players in our regional and statewide economy,” said Annalisa Kelly, Director of Strategic Initiative and Policy for JEDCO. “Our business owners in Jefferson Parish supply fish, shrimp, oysters and more across the state and the U.S. Hurricane Ida and COVID-19 have had a devastating impact on local seafood communities, creating significant barriers for businesses that were already experiencing disadvantages in growth.”
JEDCO is an independent arm of Jefferson Parish government with an objective is to attract, grow and create new business in the area. It is committed to helping businesses thrive in through a mission is to proactively influence the economy through the retention and creation of quality jobs, entrepreneurship and investment in the Parish.
“My community has been completely devastated and annihilated,” said Lafitte shrimper Ronald Dufrane. “We were one of the lucky ones. Our boat and house survived, but we lost our car and a lot of equipment, including our fishing nets.”
Dufrane, who rode out the storm with his wife Jan on their boat the Mister Jug, told Gulf Seafood News that the water rose so fast the tidal wave carried everything out “like tumble weeds on the prairie.” He has started a GoFundMe page to help his community.
According to Kelly, JEDCO’s local partners will be available to provide information on recovery assistance, small business financing programs, and more to help the Jefferson Parish fishing industry come back stronger and more resilient than ever. “Despite the economic and cultural significance of our local seafood industry, it remains under served,” she said.
“Hurricane Ida left the Town of Jean Lafitte almost completely destroyed,” said Ewell Smith of the Gulf Seafood Foundation. “Events like these will have to take place in towns across the State that were devastated by the storm. This is a great step forward. One of many steps as the journey to seafood recovery in Louisiana will take time.”
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