A declaration
of emergency, setting the 2007 commercial fishing seasons
for reef fish and setting trip limits for grouper, was issued
by Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission at their Jan.
4 2007 meeting, as recommended by the Department of Wildlife
and Fisheries.
The commission
also set a commercial trip and possession limit for deep-water
and shallow-water grouper combined (black, misty, Warsaw,
red, snowy, yellowedge, yellowfin and yellowmouth groupers,
red hind, rock hind, speckled hind, gag and scamp), of 6,000
pounds per vessel.
The commission
authorized the LDWF Secretary to establish and modify trip
and possession limits and to close the season for the commercial
harvest of any species or group of species of reef fish in
Louisiana state waters if he is informed by the Regional Administrator
of NMFS that the applicable commercial quota has been harvested
in the Gulf of Mexico, and if he is requested by NMFS to enact
compatible regulations in Louisiana state waters.
The secretary
was also authorized to re-open and close those commercial
seasons in Louisiana state waters if the commercial season
dates in the Federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico have been
modified, and that NMFS requests that the season be modified
in Louisiana state waters. Such authority shall extend through
Jan. 31, 2008.
The commission's
actions ensure that regulations in state waters will complement
regulations of the National Marine Fisheries Service for federally
managed waters. NMFS and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management
Council typically request consistent regulations for Louisiana
waters to enhance effectiveness and enforceability of regulations.
