Louisiana
Spring Shrimp Season to Open
Posted:
5/4/07
The opening
dates of the 2007 Louisiana spring shrimp season were announced
at the May 3 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 noon
on May 28. 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 noon on May
14 and Zone 3 will open at noon on May 28.
Zone 1 includes
state waters from the Mississippi/Louisiana state line to
the eastern shore of South Pass of the Mississippi River.
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 and 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
Bryant O. Hammett, Jr., 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
reaches sizes of 100 count (per pound) or larger. Last year,
Louisiana shrimp landings totaled 135 million pounds (all
species combined/heads-off weight) and were valued at $144.8
million dockside.
