M & B News
Protecting Your Access What is the Louisiana Sportsmen ’ s Coalition ? by Captain Anthony Buquoi , President / Director LaSC
Our Mission at LaSC is as follows : We will represent all Sportsmen of Louisiana in the protection of our rights to access all of Louisiana ’ s waterways by forming a unified body of recreational anglers , charter guides , commercial fisherman , and all who enjoy our outdoors . Our goals is to protect and preserve the right to access publicly-owned waterways for all and future generations ! How can you help ? Go to our website , www . louisianasportsmenscoalition . com and follow the instructions to join in the fight to protect public access to the best fishery in the country . Your small membership fee will contribute to helping fund the creation of legislation that protects the right of access to waterways for you and future generations to come .
Louisiana , whose nickname is Sportsman ’ s Paradise , is well-known for its swamplands and marshlands that provide an abundance of good hunting and fishing . But , Louisiana has a dirty little secret . Louisiana is the only state in the union that allows landowners and leaseholders to claim ownership of waters that ebb and flow according to the tides influenced by the Gulf of Mexico . Louisiana ’ s vast waterways and marshlands , which are directly responsible for fantastic hunting and fishing and are responsible for much of the state ’ s tourism , are being gated and privatized by individuals and corporations at an alarming rate . Sportsmen from all corners of Louisiana , as well as those who come to Louisiana from all over the U . S . and the world , are experiencing a diminishing resource to enjoy . They are confronted daily with makeshift gates and other obstructions that deny access to places where some have fished with their ancestors for many years . Many of these famous fishing holes of the past are no longer accessible due to this growing problem . In many cases , these makeshift obstacles and gates present navigation
hazards . They also entrap fish , crabs , and other public resources as well as divert the natural water flow of our marshes and swamplands . In most cases , these waterways are leased by private industries for profit while many of the lands and waterways continue to benefit from tax funding for coastal restoration and aquatic vegetation control . The Louisiana Sportsmen ’ s Coalition ( LaSC ) has been formed as a means to bring together groups and individuals concerned with this growing problem of access to flowing water and navigable waterways . The LaSC is intended to present a single , unified voice for all of its constituents concerning these issues . The goal of the LaSC is to mimic our neighboring states on the Gulf Coast by opening all waterways for public use . For example , Texas states “ A stream is public if it is ‘ navigable in fact ’ or ‘ navigable by statute .’ Waters , which in their natural state are useful to the public for a considerable portion of the year , are navigable ”. They also say , “ If you can float it , you can boat it ”. Working with the legislators of Louisiana to return such waters to public trust and protect the public ’ s use of what is rightfully theirs as citizens of the state of Louisiana is the ultimate goal of the LaSC .
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August 2016 www . marshandbayou . com