The
commercial fishery for tilefishes in Louisiana waters will
close at 12:01 a.m. on April 18, 2007, and will remain closed
until the opening of the spring commercial tilefish season
on Jan. 1, 2008. The tilefish assemblage includes tilefish,
goldface tilefish, blackline tilefish, anchor tilefish and
blueline tilefish.
The decision
was made by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Secretary Bryant O. Hammett Jr., following notification by
the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that the Federal
waters of the Gulf of Mexico is closed for the commercial
harvest of tilefishes from 12:01 a.m. April 18, 2007 until
12:01 a.m. Jan. 1, 2008, and per a request from NMFS.
Regulations
for the tilefish fishery in the Gulf of Mexico include a commercial
quota of 440,000 pounds. Based on reported landings, the NMFS
is closing the tilefish commercial fishery in Federal waters
off Louisiana, and requested that LDWF 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 Secretary Hammett to change or modify opening
and closing dates for commercial tilefish 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 tilefishes
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 tilefishes 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.
