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Panel backs bill to expand oyster aquaculture area off Grand Isle
Summary
The committee reported HB 669 favorably. The bill would double a leased area used for off‑bottom/caged oyster cultivation near Grand Isle (adding about 27.5 acres); Weldon Danos of the Grand Isle Port Commission testified in support.
The Senate Natural Resources Committee reported House Bill 669 favorably on April 22. The bill authorizes the use of additional state property to expand offshore oyster aquaculture near Grand Isle — roughly doubling an existing leased research/production area to meet rising demand for caged, off‑bottom oysters.
Weldon Danos, executive director of the Grand Isle Port Commission, described two existing aquaculture leases (27 acres near the bridge in Comenata Bay and a 13‑acre site nearby) and said the proposal expands "oyster form 2" by about 27.5 acres. He noted the oysters are marketed under the brand "Grand Isle Jewels." "Grand Isle is the birthplace of off the bottom oysters, and the market has grown rapidly in supply and demand," Danos said.
Danos asked the committee to act favorably; Representative Osterholm (the bill author referenced in the reading) and committee members agreed and the bill was reported favorably with no objections recorded in the transcript.
Next step: HB 669 was reported favorably and moves on in the legislative process.
