The U.S. House of Representatives has just approved $12 million annually to help get rid of nutria rats in an effort to help fight coastal erosion.

KATC.com reports Louisiana Rep. Garret Graves co-sponsored the legislation along with California Rep. Josh Harder that will make an annual $12 million available to Louisiana and other states to fight and eradicate nutria.

Rep. Garret Graves told the house that there an estimated 20 million nutria in Louisiana. Nutria rats contribute greatly to our eroding coast because they chew on tree roots.

Louisiana's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries currently offers a bounty on nutria, and just recently upped that bounty from $5 to $6 per tail.

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