The commercial
fishery for deepwater groupers in Louisiana waters will close
at 12:01 a.m. on June 2, 2007, and will remain closed until
the opening of the spring commercial deepwater grouper season
on Jan. 1, 2008. The deepwater grouper assemblage includes
misty, snowy, yellowedge, Warsaw grouper, and speckled hind.
The decision was
made by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF)
Secretary Bryant O. Hammett Jr., following notification by
the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that the federal
waters of the Gulf of Mexico will close for the commercial
harvest of deepwater groupers from 12:01 a.m. June 2 until
12:01 a.m. Jan. 1, 2008, and per a request from NMFS.
Regulations for
the deep-water grouper fishery in the Gulf of Mexico include
a commercial quota. Based on reported landings, the NMFS will
close the deep-water grouper commercial fishery in federal
waters off Louisiana at 12:01 a.m. on June 2, 2007, and requested
that the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enact
compatible rules. NMFS requested consistent regulations for
Louisiana waters to enhance effectiveness and enforceability
of regulations.
Secretary Hammett
was authorized by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission
at their January, 2007 meeting to take these actions to provide
consistent regulations between state and adjacent federal
waters, and noted that the season closure is necessary to
prevent overfishing of the species assemblage.
The commission
also authorized LDWF Secretary Hammett to change or modify
opening and closing dates for commercial deep-water grouper
seasons in Louisiana waters to comply with changes or modifications
in season dates in federal waters. The commission's actions
ensure that regulations in state waters will mirror regulations
of NMFS for federally managed waters.
After the closure,
all commercial harvest, possession, purchase, barter, trade,
sale or attempts to purchase, barter, trade or sell deepwater
groupers is prohibited until 12:01 a.m., Jan. 1, 2008, the
date set for the opening of the 2008 season. The prohibition
on sale/purchase of deepwater grouper during the closure does
not apply to those that were harvested, landed ashore, and
sold prior to the effective date of the closure and were held
in cold storage by a dealer or processor provided appropriate
records in accordance with R.S. 56:306.5 and 56:306.6 are
properly maintained.
