The fall inshore
shrimp season will open in Shrimp Management Zone 3 at noon
on Monday, Aug. 6, 2007 and in Zones 1 and 2 at noon on Monday,
Aug. 13, 2007. Season dates were approved by the Louisiana
Wildlife and Fisheries Commission at its Aug. 2 meeting, based
upon recommendations presented by Louisiana Department of
Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Marine Fisheries Division biological
staff and public comment.
The closing date
set by the commission for these waters is official sunset
Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007 except for the open waters of Breton
and Chandeleur Sounds as described by the double-rig line
(LA R.S.56:495.1(A)2), which will remain open to shrimping
until 6 a.m. March 31, 2008.
Zone 1 includes
Louisiana waters from the Mississippi-Louisiana state line
to the eastern shore of South Pass of the Mississippi River.
Zone 2 extends from the eastern shore of South Pass of the
Mississippi River to the western shore of Vermilion Bay and
Southwest Pass at Marsh Island. Zone 3 extends from the western
shore of Vermilion Bay and Southwest Pass at Marsh Island
to the Louisiana-Texas state line.
The commission
also authorized the LDWF Secretary to change the closing dates
of the 2007 fall shrimp season if biological and technical
data indicate a need to do so or if enforcement problems develop
and to close and reopen all or parts of state inside and outside
waters if significant numbers of small white shrimp are found
in these waters.
According
to LDWF trip ticket report data, 2006 Louisiana shrimp landings
measured 139 million pounds and were valued at $144.5 million.
White shrimp landings accounted for approximately 87 million
pounds or 64 percent of total shrimp landings and exceeded
the previous white shrimp landings record set in 2000 by 11
million pounds. Trip ticket data also indicated that 3,422
commercial shrimp fishermen reported taking 54,055 shrimping
trips in 2006.
