Commercial
fishing for large coastal sharks, as defined by Louisiana
rule (L.A.C. 76:VII.357), closes in Louisiana waters at 11:30
p.m. on Sept. 22, 2007, and the closure will remain in effect
until 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2008. Federal waters of the Gulf
of Mexico will also be closed for commercial harvest of large
coastal sharks during the same time period.
Under
the authority given to the secretary of the Louisiana Department
of Wildlife and Fisheries by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries
Commission in its rule LAC 76:VII.357.M.2 which allows the
secretary to declare a closed season, Undersecretary Janice
Lansing, acting on behalf of Secretary Bryant O. Hammett,
Jr., made the decision upon notice from the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) that the subquota for large coastal
sharks has been exceeded, and that the season closure is necessary
to ensure that the established quotas are not further exceeded.
Upon closure
of this season on Sept. 22, all commercial harvest, possession,
purchase, exchange, barter, trade, sale or attempt to purchase,
exchange, barter, trade or sell large coastal sharks or their
fins is prohibited through 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2008.
The large
coastal shark group is composed of the great hammerhead, scalloped
hammerhead, smooth hammerhead, nurse shark, blacktip shark,
bull shark, lemon shark, sandbar shark, silky shark, spinner
shark and tiger shark.
