A declaration
of emergency setting the 2008 commercial fishing season for
king mackerel was issued by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries
Commission at the Jan. 8, 2008 meeting. The commercial fishing
season for king mackerel in Louisiana state waters will open
at 12:01 a.m. on July 1, 2008, and will remain open until
the 2008 commercial quota for the western Gulf of Mexico is
harvested or projected to be harvested.
The commission
also authorized the secretary of the Louisiana Department
of Wildlife and Fisheries to close the commercial king mackerel
season in Louisiana waters and re-open the commercial season
to coincide with season dates in federal waters.
The commission's
actions ensure that regulations in Louisiana state waters
will mirror regulations of federally managed waters. The National
Marine Fisheries Service and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management
Council cooperatively manage king mackerel in federal waters
off the coast of Louisiana, and consistent regulations enhance
effectiveness and enforceability of those rules.
