Panel 2 Speakers

 Sky Leger

Fisherfamily Advisory Council for Tradition and Stewardship (FACTS)   Sky Leger has been shrimping and oystering in Cameron for 15 years. He recently experienced extreme catch loss from a dredge disaster from construction for Venture Global’s CP2 that left oyster reefs and estuaries covered in dredge sludge. Sky is leading hydrophone deployment in Habitat Recovery Project’s Community Science effort to track underwater noise pollution and its effects on shrimp.

Solomon Williams

Fisherfamily Advisory Council for Tradition and Stewardship (FACTS)  Multigenerational, small-scale commercial oysterman, shrimp dock hand, and parent to six children. Solomon is particularly interested in advocating for the safety and rights of elder fishermen, and the heritage of the Cameron community, once the seafood capital of the United States, and now the epicenter of one of the biggest fossil fuel build-out in the world.  

James Hiatt

Director of For a Better Bayou A former oil and gas worker turned community advocate, James Hiatt is committed to building people power across Southwest Louisiana by inviting others to remember our shared dignity, the sacredness of every life, and our responsibility to care for our common home. Through watchdogging industry, engaging in public discourse, and empowering civic engagement, For a Better Bayou helps restore the rightful voice of the people in shaping the region’s future. By helping neighbors turn frustration into action and amplifying voices too often overlooked, we remind the world that love of neighbor and the sacredness of every life are more powerful than backroom deals and the machinery of money.  

Alyssa Portaro

Founder and Executive Director of Habitat Recovery Project (HRP) Alyssa Portaro is a dynamic environmentalist and activist known for her extensive work in sustainability, nonprofit development, and socially beneficial consultancy. Alyssa has spent the past 2 years meeting with and organizing Cameron Parish shrimpers, from hosting cookouts and community teach-ins to suing the industries that harm them. Alyssa is dedicated to understanding what is negatively affecting our fisheries and building people power to effect positive change for them. 

Moderator: Misha Mayeur

Director of Communications and Partnerships for Habitat Recovery Project (HRP) Creator and Host of the Gulf Rising Podcast that has detailed environmental issues across the state, Misha is an advocate for the health of Louisiana’s ecosystems. She has been working with the fishermen of Cameron Parish for the past year and a half to amplify their stories through social media, press, and even a giant puppet show. You may hear Misha’s voice again on Saturday night as she performs in The Little Shrimp and the Terrible Noise, which details the harm experienced by Cameron Fishermen.  *Due to the nature of the shrimping season, several shrimpers are waiting to make the call to attend Shrimpfest based on the climate for catching. The potential to catch several thousand dollars' worth of shrimp in a day cannot be overlooked. We are hopeful that timing will work out for more SWLA shrimpers to attend LA Shrimpfest.