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2006-07 Louisiana Oyster Seasons Set
Posted: 8/4/06

Opening and closing dates for the 2006-07 oyster season on the public oyster areas were set at the Aug. 3, 2006 meeting of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.

The oyster season in the primary public oyster seed grounds east of the Mississippi River, including the sacking only area of the public grounds and the Bay Gardene Public Oyster Seed Reservation will open one-half hour before sunrise on Sept. 6, 2006 and close one-half hour after sunset on Sept. 27, 2006. This area will then reopen at one-half hour before sunrise on Nov. 13, 2006. Oyster harvest during the open season in the Bay Gardene Public Oyster Seed Reservation shall be restricted to seed oysters for bedding purposes only, as described in R.S. 56:433.B(1).

The oyster season in the Hackberry Bay (Bay Duchene) Public Oyster Seed Reservation will open one-half hour before sunrise on Sept. 6, 2006 and will close one-half hour after sunset on Sept. 27, 2006, except the 2004 cultch plant locations within the following coordinates which will open one-half hour before sunrise on Sept. 6, 2006 and will close one-half hour after sunset on Sept. 8, 2006:

The oyster season in the Hackberry Bay Public Oyster Seed Reservation,
excluding the 2004 cultch plants as described above shall reopen at one-half hour before sunrise on Nov. 13, 2006.

The oyster season in the Lake Felicity and Lake Chien Public Oyster Seed Grounds will open one-half hour before sunrise on Nov. 13, 2006 and close one-half hour after sunset on Nov. 15, 2006.

The oyster season in the Bay Junop Public Oyster Seed Reservation will open one-half hour before sunrise on Nov. 13, 2006 and close one-half hour after sunset on Dec. 12, 2006.

The Vermilion/East and West Cote Blanche/Atchafalaya Bay Public Oyster Seed
Ground will open one-half hour before sunrise on Sept. 6, 2006.

The oyster season in the Calcasieu Lake public oyster area is detailed as follows:

1. Calcasieu Lake West Cove Conditional Management Area (west side of Calcasieu ship channel) will open one-half hour before sunrise
   on Oct. 16, 2006.
2. Calcasieu Lake Conditional Management Area (east side of Calcasieu ship channel) will open one-half hour before sunrise on Nov. 1, 2006.

The sack limit for Calcasieu Lake is set at 15 sacks per day as provided for in R.S. 56:435.1.1. However, these conservation actions will not supercede public health closures.

The following areas will remain closed for the 2006/07-oyster season: the Deep Lake, Lake Tambour, and Lake Mechant Public Oyster Seed Grounds; the Sister Lake Public Oyster Seed Reservation; and the Sabine Lake public oyster tonging area.

The commission authorized Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Dwight Landreneau to take emergency action to close areas if oyster mortalities are occurring or to delay the season or close areas where significant spat catch has occurred with good probability of survival, or where it is found that there are excessive amounts of non-living reef material in seed oyster loads, or if oyster resources and/or reefs are being adversely impacted, or if enforcement problems are encountered. The
secretary was also authorized to take emergency action to reopen areas previously closed if the threat to the resource has ended and to open areas if substantial oyster resources are located.

Public notice of any opening, delay, or closure of a season will be provided at least 72 hours prior to such action, unless such closure is ordered by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals for public health concerns.

 

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