The 2008
spring inshore shrimp season in Shrimp Management Zones 1
and 3 will close on Tuesday, July 1, at 6:00 a.m. except for
the following portions of Zones 1 and 3:
Zone 1
- Lake
Pontchartrain including Rigoletes Pass from the mouth of
Lake Pontchartrain extending eastward to the western side
of the CSX Railway Bridge
- Chef
Menteur Pass from the mouth of Lake Pontchartrain southeasterly
to the mouth of Lake Borgne
- The
Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) beginning at its juncture
with the Industrial Canal
- That
portion of Mississippi Sound beginning at a point on the
Louisiana-Mississippi Lateral Boundary at latitude 30 degrees
09 minutes 39.6 seconds north and longitude 89 degrees 30
minutes 00 seconds west; thence southeasterly to a point
at latitude 30 degrees 03 minutes 12 seconds north and longitude
89 degrees 21 minutes 30 seconds west; thence northeasterly
to the most easterly point on Isle Au Pitre at latitude
30 degrees 09 minutes 20.5 seconds north and longitude 89
degrees 11 minutes 15.5 seconds west, which is a point on
the double–rig line as described in LA R.S. 56:495.1(A)2;
thence northerly along the double–rig line to a point
on the Louisiana-Mississippi Lateral Boundary at latitude
30 degrees 12 minutes 37.9056 seconds north and longitude
89 degrees 10 minutes 57.9725 seconds west; thence westerly
along the Louisiana-Mississippi Lateral Boundary to the
point of beginning.
- The
open waters of Breton and Chandeleur Sounds as described
by the double-rig line (LA R.S.56:495.1)
Zone
3
- The
Calcasieu Ship Channel originating at a line between Channel
Markers 85 and 86 thence southward to a point originating
along the inside/outside shrimp line at Calcasieu Pass as
described in LA R.S.56:495(A) and including East Pass from
its origin at the Calcasieu Ship Channel to the south end
of Calcasieu Lake and West Pass from its origin at the Calcasieu
Ship Channel to the south end of West Cove.
Lake Pontchartrain,
Chef Menteur Pass, Rigolets Pass, the MRGO, a portion of Mississippi
Sound, Breton and Chandeleur Sounds and a portion of the Calcasieu
Ship Channel will remain open until further notice. State
territorial waters seaward of the Inside/Outside shrimp line,
as described in Louisiana R.S.56:495, will also remain open
to shrimping.
Zone
1 includes state waters from the Mississippi/Louisiana state
line to the eastern shore of South Pass of the Mississippi
River and Zone 3 includes state waters from the western shore
of Vermilion Bay and Southwest Pass at Marsh Island to the
Louisiana/Texas state line.
The
closure was announced today by Louisiana Department of Wildlife
and Fisheries Secretary Robert Barham and was based on recommendations
made by LDWF Marine Fisheries Division biologists.
The
number, distribution and percentage of small juvenile white
shrimp within the areas to be closed have progressively increased
in recent weeks and these waters are being closed to protect
these developing shrimp. Brian Lezina, LDWF Biologist Manager,
who supervises LDWF Marine Fisheries Division operations in
the Lake Pontchartrain basin stated that “Despite this
year’s shortened spring shrimp season, the season extension
within Lake Pontchartrain, Chef Menteur and Rigolets Passes,
the MRGO and portions of Mississippi, Breton and Chandeleur
Sounds should provide added economic opportunities to shrimp
fishermen targeting large emigrating brown shrimp while limiting
impacts to developing white shrimp populations found in shallower
adjacent waters.” However, he cautioned that “all
or portions of these waters would be closed if sample data
and fisheries monitoring indicate unacceptable impacts to
developing white shrimp populations or if law enforcement
problems develop”. Mike Harbison, LDWF Biologist Manager,
who supervises LDWF Marine Fisheries Division activities in
the Calcasieu River Basin noted that “the portions of
the Calcasieu River Ship Channel that will remain open also
provide opportunity to harvest emigrating brown shrimp in
that area, while minimizing impacts to developing white shrimp
found in other parts of Calcasieu Lake at this time of the
year.”
