M&B News
LDWF Plans Two Derelict Crab Trap
Closures for 2017
On Sept.1, 2016 the Louisiana Wildlife and
Fisheries Commission (LWFC) adopted a Notice of
Intent for a rule that describes two different regions along the entire Louisiana coast to be
closed for the purpose of removing derelict crab
traps.
1. The first closure will take place in the eastern
portion of the state. The inside waters from the
Louisiana/Mississippi state line westward to Bayou
Lafourche will be closed to the use of crab traps
from February 20, 2017 at 12:00 a.m. through
March 7, 2017 at 11:59 p.m.
2. The second closure will take place on the western side of the state. The inside waters from the
Louisiana/Texas state line eastward to Bayou
Lafourche will be closed to the use of crab traps
from March 6, 2017 at 12:00 a.m. through March
21, 2017 at 11:59 p.m.
The LWFC took action during its July meeting
to create a seasonal closure of the commercial
harvest and the use of all crab traps for 30 days
beginning on the third Monday in February.
Today’s action will fall within with this 30-day seasonal closure to minimize impact to commercial
crabbers. Only Louisiana Department of Wildlife
and Fisheries personnel or their designees may remove and dispose of abandoned crab traps during the closure periods.
Since 2004, the Louisiana Department of
Wildlife and Fisheries, together with individual volunteers and organizations, have successfully removed and disposed of 27,366 abandoned and
derelict crabs. The removal of these crab traps is
especially important to boating safety and crab
harvesting efforts. Last
year, LDWF, Lake
Pontchartrain Basin
Foundation, BaratariaTerrebonne National Estuary Program,
volunteers, CCA and
members of the recreational and commercial
sonnel or their designees may remove these abanfishing community assisted in retrieving more than
doned crab traps from within the closed area.
2,500 abandoned crab traps.
Abandoned traps must be brought to LDWF desAll crab traps remaining in the closed area
ignated disposal sites and may not be taken from
during the specified period will be considered
the closed area.
abandoned.
Interested persons may submit written comments relIn the weeks leading up to the closure, LDWF
ative to the proposed rule to Mr. Jeffrey Marx, Marine Fishwill mail notices to all licensed recreational and
eries Biologist DCL-B, Marine Fisheries Section, 2415
commercial crab trap license holders and crab
Darnall Rd., New Iberia, LA 70560, or via e-mail to:
buyers as well as non-resident licensed crab fisher- [email protected] prior to November 1, 2016.
men who fish Louisiana
waters and reside out of
RECREATIONAL RED SNAPPER STATE SEASON
state.
TO CLOSE AT 11:59 P.M. SEPTEMBER 5, 2016
These proposed trap
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) announced that
removal regulations do
the state recreational red snapper season will close at 11:59 p.m. on September
not provide authorization
5, 2016. Preliminary estimates from the LA Creel survey indicate that the Departfor access to private
ment’s self-imposed quota of 1,116,732 pounds of red snapper for the private
property. Authorization
and charter sectors of the recreational fishery is projected to be harvested by Septo access private proptember 5, 2016. Closing the season in state waters avoids an overrun of the overall
erty can only be provided
Gulf of Mexico recreational quota and allows the red snapper stock to continue
by individual landowners.
rebuilding. The Secretary of the Department has the authority to re-open the
recreational season, as has been done in previous years, for additional recreational
Crab traps may be
harvest if finalized landings data indicate such harvest would be within conservaremoved only between
tion targets. The state red snapper season, which opened on January 8, allowed
one-half hour before sunanglers an opportunity to harvest recreational red snapper for 242 days in state
rise to one-half hour after
waters.
sunset. Only LDWF per-