The Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has announced that the
2007/2008 oyster season in the Lake Mechant Public Oyster
Seed Grounds will close at one-half hour after sunset on Monday,
October 29, 2007. The oyster season in this area was opened
to harvest on October 24, 2007 and will close two days earlier
than originally scheduled. Oyster harvest in the lake has
been strong since the season opened and has provided valuable
economic return to the Louisiana oyster industry. However,
heavy harvest pressure in Lake Mechant has significantly reduced
available oyster stocks, according to LDWF Marine Fisheries
Division biologists. Also, removal of excessive amounts of
non-living reef material with seed oyster loads by fishermen
is threatening existing reef resources in the Lake Mechant
Public Oyster Seed Grounds. In addition, biologists noted
young oyster spat in recent biological samples from Lake Mechant
and feel the protection of these spat is important to the
long-term sustainability of the oyster resource.
