The Louisiana
of Wildlife and Fisheries Commission recently approved an
additional oyster season in the Sister Lake Public Oyster
Seed Reservation. This season will open at one-half hour before
sunrise on Monday, Feb. 11, 2008 and close at one-half hour
after sunset on Friday, Feb. 29, 2008. During this season,
the following provisions will be in effect:
- The
daily take and possession limit shall be no more than 50
sacks of oysters per vessel, although this limit does not
apply to those vessels harvesting seed oysters for bedding
purposes.
- Vessels
are prohibited from harvesting oysters for market (sacking)
and harvesting oysters for bedding purposes on the same
day.
- If
a vessel is harvesting on the public oyster seed reservation,
all oysters on board that vessel are deemed to have been
taken from the reservation.
- The
2004 cultch plant location within the following coordinates
will remain closed during this season:
29
degrees 13 minutes 36.49 seconds N
90 degrees 54 minutes 59.89 seconds W
29
degrees 13 minutes 32.29 seconds N
90
degrees 54 minutes 43.89 seconds W
29
degrees 13 minutes 15.72 seconds N
90
degrees 55 minutes 05.51 seconds W
29
degrees 13 minutes 12.58 seconds N
90
degrees 54 minutes 46.94 seconds W
The Sister
Lake Public Oyster Seed Reservation was originally opened
for eight days in November 2007 and biological sampling performed
by biologists from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and
Fisheries has determined that harvestable amounts of oysters
remain available in the lake. In addition, this opening was
recommended by the Louisiana Oyster Task Force. The commission
also gave the Secretary of the Department of Wildlife and
Fisheries, Robert Barham, the authority to close this season
to protect the oyster resource or if enforcement problems
occur.
