in the wetlands. These large, straight canals carry high 

 velocity seawater (waves) during hurricanes and destroy 

 vegetation. After a hurricane, the spoil banks tend to 

 trap the saline seawater in the wetlands and prohibit it 

 from draining. The result is the destruction of more vegeta- 

 tion and erosion. Also, the dredging of canals near barrier 

 islands helps speed their destruction. Normally, these 

 islands protect the plant and animal life of the wetlands 

 from destruction by storm-generated tidal surges and diminish 

 wetland erosion (Mumphrey et al . , 1975: 89-93). 



The seafood and fur industries in Louisiana 

 are rather large. Therefore, preservation of wetlands 

 productivity is important to the state's economy. In 1974, 

 1,228,906,000 pounds of seafood with a value of $86,694,000 

 were landed in Louisiana. For the same year there were 9,500 

 full-time and 4,050 part-time commercial fishermen in Louisiana 

 Louisiana's seafood catch is about one-quarter of the nation's 

 total catch (U.S. Department of Commerce, 1975: 18 and 76). 



3.2 — EFFECTS OF OIL INDUSTRY ON LIVING RESOURCES 



Most of the commercial fishes important to Louisiana 

 industry rely on estuaries for food or live part of their 



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