Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Secretary Bryant
O. Hammett Jr. announced a 15-day oyster season in the Little
Lake Public Oyster Seed Grounds and selected areas of the
Vermilion/East and West Cote Blanche/Atchafalaya Bay Public
Oyster Seed Grounds located east of South Point of Marsh Island
and south of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals'
(DHH) May-August 2007 seasonal reclassification line that
generally runs from South Point of Marsh Island ENE to Point
Chevreuil. The short season in these areas will open at one-half
hour before sunrise on Friday, May 4, 2007 and will close
at one-half hour after sunset on Friday, May 18, 2007.
Much of the area
within these public oyster seed grounds was previously closed
to harvest by the DHH seasonal reclassification lines during
the 2006/2007-oyster season (September 2006 to April 2007).
However, these areas will be open by the DHH May-August seasonal
reclassification lines.
Substantial oyster
resources continue to exist in these public oyster seed grounds
in areas previously closed to harvest. It has been determined
by LDWF Marine Fisheries Division biologists that the reefs
would benefit from limited harvest while providing economic
opportunity to the oyster industry as it continues to rehabilitate
from the hurricane impacts of 2005.
