Shrimp Season to Close in Remainder of Zone 2
June 25, 2008
The 2008 spring inshore shrimp season in the remainder of Shrimp Management Zone 2 extending from the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel at Eugene Island as delineated by the Channel red buoy line westward to the western shore of Vermilion Bay and Southwest Pass at Marsh Island and from the western shore of Bayou Lafourche eastward to the eastern shore of South Pass of the Mississippi River will close on Monday, June 30, at 6 a.m.Â
Effective with this closure, all of Zone 2 will be closed to shrimping. Zones 1 and 3 will remain open until further notice. State territorial waters south of the Inside/Outside shrimp line, as described in Louisiana R.S.56:495, will also remain open to shrimping.
Zone 1 includes state waters from the Mississippi/Louisiana state line to the eastern shore of South Pass of the Mississippi River. Zone 3 includes state waters from the western shore of Vermilion Bay and Southwest Pass at Marsh Island to the Louisiana/Texas state line.
The closure was announced today by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Robert Barham and was based on recommendations made by LDWF Marine Fisheries Division biologists.
The number, distribution and percentage of small juvenile white shrimp within the area to be closed have progressively increased in recent weeks. Analysis of current LDWF shrimp trawl sampling data indicates substantial white shrimp population increases this week and these additional waters are being closed to protect these developing shrimp.
Paul Cook, Biologist Manager who supervises LDWF Marine Fisheries Division operations in the Vermilion/Atchafalaya Bay complex, noted that high Mississippi and Atchafalaya River discharge rates have influenced both water temperature and salinity levels leading up to the spring shrimp season which caused quite a bit of anxiety among the shrimping industry. Despite cooler water temperatures and extremely fresh water conditions seen at the season’s opening, shrimp fishermen have harvested approximately 8.6 million of pounds of shrimp in May (all species combined/heads-off weight) according to preliminary data developed by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
For more information, contact Marty Bourgeois at 225-765-2401 or mbourgeois [at] wlf [dot] louisiana [dot] gov
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Louisiana Spring Shrimp Season To Open
May 6, 2008
The opening dates of the 2008 Louisiana spring shrimp season were announced at the May 1 meeting of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission. The declaration of emergency, which established the season opening dates, followed a presentation of the latest biological and hydrological data compiled by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Marine Fisheries Division and public comment from shrimpers, members of the shrimp industry and other concerned citizens.
The Louisiana inshore shrimp season in Shrimp Management Zone 1 will open at 12 noon on June 2. Zone 2 as well as that portion of the State’s Outside Waters south of the Inside/Outside Shrimp Line as described in R.S. 56:495 from the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel at Eugene Island as delineated by the River Channel Buoy Line to the eastern shore of Freshwater Bayou at 92 degrees 18 minutes 33 seconds west longitude will open at 12 noon on May 12. Zone 3 will also open at 12 noon on June 2. With this action, all state outside waters will be opened to shrimping.Â
Zone 1 includes state waters from the Mississippi/Louisiana state line to the eastern shore of South Pass of the Mississippi River including Breton and Chandeleur Sounds. Zone 2 comprises that portion of Louisiana’s inside waters from the eastern shore of South Pass of the Mississippi River to the western shore of Vermilion Bay and Southwest Pass at Marsh Island. Zone 3 includes state waters from the western shore of Vermilion Bay and Southwest Pass at Marsh Island to the Louisiana/Texas state line.
LDWF Secretary Robert Barham was given authority to close the season when biological and technical data indicate that significant numbers of small white shrimp have recruited into inshore waters or if law enforcement problems develop.
Development of LDWF management recommendations for spring inshore opening dates utilize criteria which project the date when a minimum of 50 percent of the inshore brown shrimp population sampled reach sizes of 100 count (per pound) or larger. Last year, Louisiana shrimp landings totaled 110.1 million pounds (all species combined/heads-on weight) and were valued at $138.9 million dockside.
For more information contact Martin Bourgeois at 225-765-2401 or mbourgeois [at] wlf [dot] louisiana [dot] gov.
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