Today, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission convened a special meeting to consider setting the opening of the spring shrimp season in a portion of state inshore waters. The Commission set the opening based on information provided by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries biologists and public comments. The Commission set the season as follows:
The portion of state inside waters from the eastern shore of South Pass of the Mississippi River westward to the western shore of Freshwater Bayou Canal to open at 6 a.m. on April 30, 2018.
LDWF biologists have monitored hydrological parameters and conducted weekly trawl samples throughout the state’s estuarine and nearshore waters since March to develop management recommendations for spring inshore opening dates. The Department provided projections of the date when a minimum of 50 percent of the inshore brown shrimp population sampled reach sizes of 100 count per pound or larger.
The Commission granted authority to the Secretary of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to delay these opening dates if biological and technical data indicate the need to do so, and; to close any portion of Louisiana’s inside waters to protect small juvenile white shrimp if data indicate the need to do so, or enforcement problems develop. The Secretary is further granted the authority to open any area, or re-open any previously closed area, and to open and close special shrimp seasons in any portion of state waters.
The Commission will consider the opening dates for the remaining state inshore waters for the 2018 spring shrimp season at its May 3 meeting.
Click here to see the map detailing the opening.
