Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Secretary Robert
J. Barham issued an emergency order to close the 2008-09-oyster
season in selected portions of the public oyster seed grounds
at one-half hour after sunset on Saturday, March 14, 2009.
The public oyster
areas to close on March 14 include all public oyster seed
grounds east of the Mississippi River, the Hackberry Bay Public
Oyster Seed Reservation, and the Little Lake Public Oyster
Seed Ground.
The season was
previously set by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission
to remain open until April 30, 2009, but the commission gave
authority for an early closure to the LDWF Secretary in order
to protect and conserve the public oyster resource.
The LDWF Marine
Fisheries Division has monitored the health of the public
oyster resource throughout the oyster season, which opened
in September 2008, through biological sampling and harvest
tracking. LDWF monitoring activities have determined that
the public oyster resources, especially those east of the
Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish, have sustained heavy
harvest pressure and continued harvest may threaten the long-term
sustainability of the remaining oyster resources.
An early closure
of these public oyster seed grounds will help protect the
remaining oyster resources and help sustain that resource
for the future. This early closure is being announced in order
to provide the oyster industry with as much prior notice as
possible.
