Vermilion
Bay/West Cote Blanche Bay Derelict Crab Trap Clean Up Dates
Set
Posted:
5/12/05
A crab trap closure
and an abandoned crab trap clean up will take place in a portion
of Vermilion Bay and West Cote Blanche Bay and surrounding
marshes for a nine-day period coinciding with the opening
of the spring inshore shrimp season at 6 a.m. on May 16 and
ending on May 24 at 6 a.m.
Fishermen are required
to remove their crab traps from the closure area before 6
a.m. May 16. Any remaining crab traps in the closure area
from 6 a.m. May 16 through 6 a.m. May 24 will be considered
abandoned and may be retrieved by anyone.
All traps retrieved
must be brought back to designated disposal sites at Marsh
Island Wildlife Refuge headquarters and Quintana Canal public
boat launch. However, unserviceable crab traps may be possessed
by shrimp fishermen outside of the closed area when in compliance
with R. S. 56:332, which mandates that a shrimp fisherman
who catches an unserviceable crab trap must keep it on board
his vessel and properly dispose of it onshore.
Shrimp fishermen
who incidentally capture crab traps in their shrimp gear are
encouraged to assist in the crab trap clean up. However, other
volunteers may also participate, with Saturday, May 21, designated
as a volunteer day.
LDWF personnel
will be present at the Quintana Canal public boat launch beginning
at 8 a.m. to distribute instructions, maps and supplies (tarps,
grappling hooks, garbage bags and gloves) to the volunteers
and to assist with the unloading of derelict traps. Contact
Paul Cook at (337) 373-0032 or pcook@wlf.louisiana.gov about
volunteering.
Back
to Main
