Shrimp
Season in Breton and Chandeleur Sounds Extended and Portion
of Louisiana Offshore Territorial Waters Reopened to Shrimping
Posted:
3/30/06
Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Secretary Dwight
Landreneau announced that the shrimp season in the open waters
of Breton and Chandeleur Sounds as described by the double-rig
line (LA R.S.56:495.1(A)2) shall be extended until 6 a.m.,
April 7, 2006 and the reopening of a portion of Louisiana
offshore territorial waters to shrimping.
That portion
of Louisiana offshore territorial waters south of the Inside/Outside
Shrimp Line as described in R.S.56:495, from the eastern shore
of the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel at Eugene Island as
delineated by the Channel red buoy line to the 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 27 seconds west longitude, will
reopen to shrimping on April 10, 2006 at 6 a.m.
Recent
fisheries dependent data indicate that sufficient quantities
of marketable white shrimp remain in Breton and Chandeleur
Sounds and this extension of the shrimp season should provide
added economic opportunity to shrimpers while limiting risk
to early recruiting brown shrimp. According to the most recent
trawl samples taken by Marine Fisheries Division biologists,
small white shrimp, which have occupied portions of state
outside waters from January through March, are no longer present
in the area to be opened. Significant numbers of small white
shrimp still remain in state outside
waters west of the Atchafalaya River Ship to the western shore
of Freshwater Bayou Canal at longitude 92 degrees 18 minutes
33 seconds west longitude and this area will remain closed
until further notice.
Preliminary
LDWF trip ticket report data indicate that 2005 Louisiana
shrimp landings (all species combined) totaled approximately
102.5 million pounds and had a dock-side value of $133.2 million.
White shrimp landings accounted for 60 percent of total shrimp
landings and 68.5 percent of the value.
The opening
dates for the 2006 spring inshore shrimp season will be considered
by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission at the
May 4 meeting to be held at LDWF headquarters.
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