Louisiana
Spring Shrimp Season to Open May 15 in Shrimp Management Zone
1 and May 22 in Zone 3
Posted:
5/5/06
The Louisiana
inshore shrimp season in Shrimp Management Zone 1 will open
at noon on Monday, May 15 except 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 open at noon May 8, and
in Zone 3 at noon on Monday, May 22. Zone 1 includes state
waters from the Mississippi/Louisiana state line to the eastern
shore of South Pass of the Mississippi River. Zone 3 includes
state waters from the western shore of Vermilion Bay and Southwest
Pass at Marsh Island to the Louisiana/Texas state line.
The commission
had taken action at a special meeting held on April 26 to
open the spring shrimp season in Shrimp Management Zone 2
at noon on May 4. Zone 2 includes state waters from the eastern
shore of South Pass of the Mississippi River to the western
shore of Vermilion Bay and Southwest Pass at Marsh Island.
LDWF Secretary
Dwight Landreneau was given authority to close the season
when biological and technical data indicate that significant
numbers of small white shrimp begin recruiting into inshore
waters or if law enforcement problems develop.
Development
of LDWF management recommendations for spring inshore opening
dates utilize criteria which project the date when a minimum
of 50 percent of the inshore brown shrimp population sampled
reaches sizes of 100 count (per pound) or larger. Unseasonably
mild water temperatures extending from January, low Mississippi
and Atchafalaya River discharge rates and drought-like conditions
throughout Louisiana's estuaries have combined to produce
highly favorable shrimp growing conditions this spring. High
survival of early recruited shrimp and rapid growth rates
have produced shrimp sizes above the long-term mean in these
waters.
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