The Louisiana
Wildlife and Fisheries Commission ratified a final rule amending
provisions to the Special Bait Dealer Permit rule at their
May 3, 2007 meeting. The new rule allows permitted bait dealers
to use two skimmer nets having an individual net frame size
not more than twelve and one-half feet measured horizontally
or 12 feet measured vertically or 17 feet four inches measured
diagonally.
Previous
regulations limited special bait dealer permittees to the
use of a single trawl not to exceed 25 feet measured along
the cork line and 33 feet along the lead line. Acting in response
to increased public demand for live bait, which has often
exceeded available bait dealer supplies, the amended rule
now allows the alternative use of skimmer nets in the permitted
bait fishery. Several studies have cited the efficiency of
skimmer nets in harvesting shrimp resulting in a number of
advantages over traditional otter trawls including increased
survival of both target and non-target catch.
The new
rule also allows permitted bait dealers to harvest live croaker
in addition to live shrimp, requires applicants to post cash
bonds rather than optional surety bonds, prohibits transfer
of any shrimp or croaker taken under the permit from one vessel
to another and revises record keeping requirements.
Last amended
in 1997, the Special Bait Dealer Permit Rule is intended solely
for the benefit of the recreational fishing public which desires
to use live shrimp and live croaker as bait during closed
shrimp season between the spring and fall inshore shrimp seasons.
Its purpose is to allow the uninterrupted operation of those
commercial establishments which sell live bait to the fishing
public during the spring and fall inshore shrimp seasons.
The special bait dealer permit is not intended for the direct
use of recreational fishermen, charter boats, commercial fishermen
who sell dead bait, or for any other entity which may wish
to catch bait for their own use during closed shrimp season.
