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Home > Current News > 2007

News: 2007

Successful Oyster Season to Close in Lake Mechant Public Oyster Seed Grounds
Posted: 10/26/07

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has announced that the 2007/2008 oyster season in the Lake Mechant Public Oyster Seed Grounds will close at one-half hour after sunset on Monday, October 29, 2007. The oyster season in this area was opened to harvest on October 24, 2007 and will close two days earlier than originally scheduled. Oyster harvest in the lake has been strong since the season opened and has provided valuable economic return to the Louisiana oyster industry. However, heavy harvest pressure in Lake Mechant has significantly reduced available oyster stocks, according to LDWF Marine Fisheries Division biologists. Also, removal of excessive amounts of non-living reef material with seed oyster loads by fishermen is threatening existing reef resources in the Lake Mechant Public Oyster Seed Grounds. In addition, biologists noted young oyster spat in recent biological samples from Lake Mechant and feel the protection of these spat is important to the long-term sustainability of the oyster resource.

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