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In an era when the terms ecology and conservation had just started to be used, Percy Viosca Jr. was traveling the state studying the effect of industrial pollution on its waterways, and how the exploitation of Louisiana’s natural resources was impacting the quality of its environment and the number and diversity of its wildlife and plants. As early as 1925 he was writing about the long-term dangers of unrestrained development on the state.
Viosca was well-known for his views on fish management. As Director of Fisheries and later as senior biologist for the division between 1936 and 1942, he supported practices which were based on scientific research. He saw conservation as the wise use of a natural resource by the application of energy to bring about a desired result. That meant utilizing resources, not placing them off-limits, which he regarded as a waste. Viosca’s studies of largemouth bass convinced him that closed fishing seasons during spawning were unnecessary because only a few fish were actually needed to replenish an area. He also pointed out that taking the biggest fish was useful because they consumed the largest amount of food. Rather than depending on the number and size of fish, the viability of a population was reliant on the habitat and food available. For that reason, he said it was futile to introduce more fish artificially into a stable environment because they could not be supported and the numbers would actually fall as a result.
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
http://www.wlf.state.la.us/
America's Wetland: Campaign to Save Coastal Louisiana
The "Info Central" section of this organizational website contains "facts and figures about wetland loss in Louisiana and the proposed solutions to this world ecological challenge." Also find news, classroom resources, free e-cards, tips for getting involved in the campaign to save Louisiana's wetlands, and an educational video that can ordered for free.
URL: http://www.americaswetland.com
Louisiana Coastal Facts
Fact sheet about Louisiana's coastal land loss, population, commerce, energy production statistics, and coastal restoration projects. Includes a brief but excellent bibliography and links to related sites. From the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Office of Coastal Restoration and Management.
URL: http://dnr.louisiana.gov/crm/coastalfacts.asp
Nature's Revenge: Louisiana's Vanishing Wetlands
"Every year, a chunk of land almost the size of Manhattan turns into open water in Louisiana." This 2002 American RadioWorks series looks at "one of the worst and least-publicized environmental disasters in America's history." Discusses warnings by activists and environmentalists, ideas to save the wetlands (including flooding the area with water from the Mississippi River), and hurricane risk for New Orleans. Includes audio and transcripts from the program.
URL: http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/wetlands/