Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Secretary Robert Barham announced that the shrimp season in that portion of Louisiana offshore territorial waters south of the Inside/Outside Shrimp Line as described in R.S.56:495, from the eastern shore of the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel at Eugene Island as delineated by the Channel red buoy line to the U.S. Coast Guard navigational light off the northwest shore of Caillou Boca at 29 degrees 03 minutes 10 seconds north latitude and 90 degrees 50 minutes 27 seconds west longitude, will reopen to shrimping on April 13, 2009 at 12 noon.
According to the most recent trawl samples taken by LDWF Marine Fisheries Division biologists, small white shrimp that have occupied portions of state outside waters from December through mid April are no longer present in the area to be opened.
Significant numbers of small white shrimp still remain in state outside waters west of the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel to the western shore of Freshwater Bayou Canal at longitude 92 degrees 18 minutes 33 seconds west longitude and this area will remain closed until further notice.
Preliminary LDWF trip ticket report data indicate that 2008 Louisiana shrimp landings (all species combined) totaled approximately 90.2 million pounds and had a dock-side value of $133.5 million. White shrimp landings totaled 63.2 million pounds and accounted for over 70 percent of total shrimp landings.
The opening dates for the 2009 spring inshore shrimp season will be considered by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission at the May 7 meeting to be held at LDWF headquarters.
