Commercial
King Mackerel Season To Close November 17
Posted:
10/26/05
The commercial
season for king mackerel in Louisiana waters will close at
noon on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2005.
The decision
was made by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
(LDWF) Secretary Dwight Landreneau, as authorized by the Louisiana
Wildlife and Fisheries Commission. At its January 2005 meeting,
the LWFC gave the Secretary of the Department the authority
to close the commercial season for king mackerel in Louisiana
state waters when he is informed that the designated portion
of the commercial king mackerel quota has been filled or was
projected to be filled. Acting on information from LDWF biologists,
the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the Gulf
of Mexico Fishery Management Council, Secretary Landreneau
signed a declaration of emergency for the closure.
The closure
in Louisiana state waters follows the closure of the commercial
king mackerel fishery in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico
off of Louisiana. Each year, a commercial quota is established
for Gulf group king mackerel by NMFS based on recommendations
by the Gulf and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils.
That figure is then divided into allocations for various zones
and fisheries. According to the best information available,
the 1.05 million pound commercial quota of king mackerel for
the western zone will be harvested by Nov. 17, 2005.
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