BATON ROUGE- Louisiana authorities are asking waterfowl hunters, anglers and boaters not to carry off any roseau cane, either on purpose or in debris on their boats.

Several state agencies are asking for those steps because cane has been dying along the coast. A tiny invasive insect called roseau cane scale may be contributing to the die-off.

A news release Thursday asks boaters not to tie up their boats to roseau cane, to remove all cane debris from their boats before leaving local marinas, and to wash boats with soapy water and drain them at or near those marinas.

Roseau cane is a tall wetland grass that stands up well to tropical storms and is one of the coast's most erosion-proof marsh plants.