Commercial
Fishing for Shallow-Water Groupers in LA Waters to Close Until
January 1, 2006
Posted:
10/10/05
The commercial
fishery for shallow-water groupers in Louisiana waters will
close at 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 10, 2005, and will remain closed
until the opening of the spring commercial shallow-water grouper
season on Jan. 1, 2006. The shallow-water grouper assemblage
includes red, black, gag, yellowfin, scamp, and yellowmouth
groupers, rock hind and red hind.
The decision
was made by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Secretary Dwight Landreneau, following notification by the
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that the federal
waters of the Gulf of Mexico is closed for the commercial
harvest of shallow-water groupers from 12:01 a.m. Oct. 10
until 12:01 a.m. Jan. 1, 2006, and per a request from NMFS.
Regulations
for the shallow-water grouper fishery in the Gulf of Mexico
include a commercial quota for red grouper and for the overall
assemblage. Rules established in federal waters require that
the commercial shallow-water grouper fishery will close for
the remainder of the year when either the shallow-water grouper
quota or red grouper quota is reached, whichever comes first.
Based on reported landings, the National Marine Fisheries
Service announced that it will close the shallow-water grouper
commercial fishery in federal waters off Louisiana, and requested
that the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enact
compatible rules. NMFS requested consistent regulations for
Louisiana waters to enhance effectiveness and enforceability
of regulations.
After
the closure, all commercial harvest, possession, purchase,
barter, trade, sale or attempts to purchase, barter, trade
or sell shallow-water groupers is prohibited until 12:01 a.m.,
Jan. 1, 2006, the date set for the opening of the 2006 season.
The prohibition on sale/purchase of shallow-water grouper
during the closure does not apply to those that were harvested,
landed ashore, and sold prior to the effective date of the
closure and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor
provided appropriate records in accordance with R.S. 56:306.5
and 56:306.6 are properly maintained.
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