In 1998, the first coastwide nutria harvest survey was flown, as part of the Nutria Harvest and Wetland Demonstration Program.  A total of 23,960 acres of damaged wetlands were located at 170 sites along the survey transects.  In 1999, the damage increased to 27,356 acres located at 150 sites.  A slight decrease was shown in 2000 with 25,939 acres located at 132 sites.  In 2001 the damage decreased to 22,139 acres located at 124 sites.  Again, in 2002 the number of damaged acres decreased, but only slightly to 21,185 acres located at 94 sites.  In May 2004, the survey showed 69 damage sites covering 14,260 acres.  Continuing the same pattern, the 2006 survey reported 31 nutria damage sites covering 12,315 acres.  The most recent survey, completed in April 2007, documented 23 nutria damage sites totaling 9,244 acres.  When extrapolated to a coastwide estimate, the acres impacted over these years ranges from 102,585 to 34,665 acres (damaged acres X 3.75).  The 3.75 multiplication factor comes form the area actually surveyed along transect lines (0.5 miles) and the distance between transect lines (1.87 miles).

During Louisiana's 2002-2003 open trapping season, The Coastwide Nutria Control Program (CNCP) was implemented.  The goal of the CNCP was to significantly reduce the amount of nutria vegetative damge in Louisiana's coast by increasing the harvest of the animal to 400,000 annually.  The first year of the program yeilded 308,160 nutria worth $1,232,640 in incentive payments to participants.  The location of the harvest was recorded for each participant and the data was compiled by township.  The 2003-2004 trapping season yeilded 332,596 nutria worth $1,330,384 to participants.  The location and harvest was recorded by the participant's leased area.  The third year of the program, 297,535 nutria from Louisiana's coast were harvested, worth $1,190,140 to participants.  In 2005-2006, 168,843 nutria worth $675,372 to participants were harvested.  Year five's harvest (06-07) brought in a record number, 375,683 nutria tails, worth $1,878,415 to participants.  The latest season (07-08), 308,212 nutria tails were collected, totaling $1,541,060 in incentive paymens.  The location of the harvest was recorded by each participant's leased area.

 2007-2008 CNCP Southwestern Louisiana Harvest and Herbivory Damage