Remainder
of Zone 1 and Additional Louisiana Offshore Territorial Waters
Closed to Shrimping
Posted:
1/27/06
The fall
inshore shrimp season will close in the remainder of Shrimp
Management Zone 1 extending north of the southern shore of
the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) including Lake Pontchartrain
and Lake Borgne as well as in that portion of state outside
waters south of the inside/outside shrimp line as described
in LA R.S.56:495 from the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel at
Eugene Island as delineated by the Channel red buoy line to
the U.S. Coast Guard navigational light off the northwest
shore of Caillou Boca at 29 degrees 03 minutes 10 seconds
north latitude and 90 degrees 50 minutes and 27 seconds west
longitude at official sunset Jan. 30, 2006.
Acting
upon authority provided to Louisiana Department of Wildlife
and Fisheries (LDWF) Secretary Dwight Landreneau by the Louisiana
Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, this action protects small
white shrimp currently over-wintering in these areas as well
as additional over-wintering white shrimp expected to recruit
to these waters.
Effective
with these closures, all state inside waters are closed to
shrimping 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 shall remain open to shrimping until 6 a.m., March 31,
2006. State outside waters south of the inside/outside shrimp
line westward from the western shore of Freshwater Bayou Canal
at longitude 92 degrees 18 minutes and 33 seconds W and eastward
from the northwest shore of Caillou Boca at 29 degrees 03
minutes and 10 seconds north latitude and 90 degrees 50 minutes
and 27 seconds west longitude shall remain open to shrimping
until further notice.
According
to LA R.S. 56:498.B(1), the possession count on saltwater
white shrimp shall average no more than 100 (whole shrimp)
count per pound except during the time period from Oct. 15
through the third Monday in December when there shall be no
count. Current sampling conducted by LDWF Marine Fisheries
Division biologists has indicated that white shrimp in these
portions of Louisiana waters do not average 100 count per
pound minimum legal size. This action protects small white
shrimp and provides increased opportunity for growth to larger
and more valuable sizes.
According
to LDWF trip ticket report data, preliminary landings statistics
indicate that Louisiana shrimp landings through December 2005
totaled approximately 92.9 million pounds (all species combined/heads-off
weight) and had a dockside value of $122 million
The opening
dates for the 2006 spring shrimp season in inside waters will
be considered by the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission at
its May meeting to be held at LDWF headquarters.
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