The hurricanes’ high winds and flood waters wiped out crops and damaged timber in south Louisiana; saltwater intrusion may have rendered some land unsuitable for farming. Both storms caused extensive damage to the state’s commercial and recreational fishing industries, destroying boats, marinas, equipment and processing facilities and ravaging the marshes and barrier islands that provide habitat for oysters, shrimp, fish and other aquatic species.
The long-term impacts of wetland loss relate to many species of fish and shellfish that depend on these habitats, translating into economic losses that affect the entire region and the nation. Nearly all Louisiana commercial species use the marsh at some stage of their life cycle, and fisheries loss will be proportional to marsh loss.
While the impact of Katrina and Rita on the petroleum industry was felt almost immediately, the storms’ effects on other industries such as fishing and agriculture might not be known for years.
