An emergency
closure of the 2008/09 oyster season in the Primary Public
Oyster Seed Grounds east of the Mississippi River will take
effect at one-half hour after sunset on Monday, Oct. 6, 2008
until one-half hour before sunrise on Monday, Oct. 13, 2008.
Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Robert Barham
issued this closure under the authority granted by emergency
provisions by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission
at its Aug. 7, 2008 meeting.
These
public oyster areas sustained impacts from Hurricanes Gustav
and Ike and have been actively harvested for seed oysters
over the past nine days. These public areas will be closed
to protect the remaining oyster resources located there.
Biological
sampling has documented oyster mortalities within these areas
following the hurricanes, as well as an excessive removal
of non-living reef material by vessels harvesting seed oysters.
Allowing continued commercial harvest at this time may threaten
the long-term sustainability of the remaining oyster resources.
