Shrimp
Season Closes in Zone 1
Posted:
7/2/04
Louisiana Department
of Wildlife and Fisheries announced the closure July 6 of
the 2004 spring shrimp season in inside waters within portions
of Shrimp Management Zone 1. Zone 1 is that portion of Louisiana's
inside waters from the Mississippi-Louisiana state line to
the eastern shore of South Pass of the Mississippi River.
Zone 1 will close
at 6:00 a.m. Tuesday, July 6, 2004 with one exception. The
exception is a portion of Mississippi Sound originating at
a point along the Mississippi-Louisiana territorial sea boundary
at longitude 89 degrees 30 minutes 00 seconds west, thence
due south to a position at latitude 30 degrees 05 minutes
00 seconds north and longitude 89 degrees 30 minutes 00 seconds
west thence southeasterly to the U.S. Coast Guard navigational
light off the eastern shore of Three-Mile Pass at latitude
30 degrees 03 minutes 12 seconds north and longitude 89 degrees
21 minutes 30 seconds west thence northeasterly to a position
which intersects the menhaden line as described in the Menhaden
Rule (LAC 76:VII, 307D) north of Isle au Pitre at latitude
30 degrees 10 minutes 00 seconds west.
The open waters
of Breton and Chandeleur Sounds as described in the Menhaden
Rule, will remain open to shrimping until further notice.
State territorial
waters seaward of the Inside/Outside Shrimp Line, as described
in Louisiana R.S. 56:495, will remain open to shrimping.
The closure was
based on recommendations made by LDWF Marine Fisheries
Division biologists. The relative number, percentage and distribution
of small white shrimp immigrating into the areas to be closed
has increased substantially in the past week and the region
is being closed to protect these developing shrimp.
Keith Ibos, biologist
supervisor of the region, advises shrimpers that areas mentioned
above in Zone 1 remaining open rely largely on positions located
in open water rather than traditional coastal geographic features.
Colonel Winton Vidrine, chief of the enforcement division,
encourages shrimpers to utilize electronic navigational equipment
to monitor their positions while operating within the open
areas, as compliance levels will be closely monitored.
Shrimpers are advised
that LDWF may take emergency action to end the season extension
should biological data indicate the need to do so or if enforcement
problems develop.
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