Derelict
Crab Trap Removal Project Planned for Vermillion Bay and West
Cote Blanche Bay
Posted:4/13/05
A crab
trap closure and associated abandoned crab trap removal project
will take place this spring in a portion of Vermilion Bay
and West Cote Blanche Bay and surrounding marshes.
The prohibition
on the use of crab traps will commence at 6 a.m. on the opening
date of the spring inshore shrimp season in Vermilion Bay
and West Cote Blanche Bay and end nine days later at 6 a.m.
The opening dates of the spring inshore shrimp season will
be fixed by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission
(LWFC) at their May 5, 2005 meeting.
The closure
area originates from a point at the intersection of the Acadiana
Navigational Channel and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, thence
southwest along the Acadiana Navigational Channel red buoy
line to the red navigational marker number 12 on the Marsh
Island shoreline near Southwest Pass, thence east along the
shoreline of Marsh Island to 91 degrees 43 minutes and 00
seconds west longitude, thence north along 91 degrees 43 minutes
and 00 seconds west longitude to the shoreline of West Cote
Blanche Bay, thence west along the northern shoreline of West
Cote Blanche Bay to its intersection with the Ivanhoe Canal,
thence north along the eastern shoreline of the Ivanhoe Canal
to its intersection with the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and
thence west along the northern shoreline of the Gulf Intracoastal
Waterway and terminating at the Acadiana Navigational Channel.
All remaining
crab traps in the closure area during the closure period will
be considered abandoned and may be retrieved by anyone and
brought to designated disposal sites. However, unserviceable
crab traps may be kept on board and properly disposed of onshore
by shrimp fishermen outside of the closed area according to
R. S. 56:332.
The open
waters of Vermilion Bay and West Cote Blanche Bay are publicly
owned, but a portion of the closure area includes privately
owned property. These trap removal regulations do not provide
authorization for public access to private property. Authorization
to access private property can only be provided by individual
landowners.
The Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) designated crab
trap disposal sites at Marsh Island Wildlife Refuge headquarters
(on the northern shore of Marsh Island) and Quintana Canal
public boat launch (approximately 2.5 miles before the end
of LA Hwy. 319 at Cypremort Point).
Louisiana's
derelict crab trap removal program uses volunteers to collect
abandoned crab traps and bring them to designated disposal
sites.
In contrast
to winter's shallow water crab trap clean ups in which volunteers
target visible abandoned crab traps near the shore line, the
Vermilion Bay and West Cote Blanche Bay clean up will be largely
dependent upon shrimp fishermen who incidentally capture deep
water crab traps in their shrimp gear.
However,
there will be sufficient abandoned crab traps with buoys for
volunteers to target. The first Saturday of the closure period
will be the primary volunteer day for people other than shrimp
fishermen.
LDWF personnel
will be present at the Quintana Canal public boat launch 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. First
aid kits will be available if needed.
Volunteers
please contact Paul Cook at 337/373-0032 or pcook@wlf.louisiana.gov.
For more details about additional regulations, maps and instructions
for volunteers please visit the Derelict Crab Trap Removal
Program Web site at http;//www.derelictcrabtrap.net.
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