The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is actively seeking new members to the Louisiana Crab Task Force to replace six current vacancies including one member who must be a crab dealer or processor and five members who must be commercial hard crab fishermen. The Crab Task Force was established by Act No. 57 of the 2001 regular legislative session in order to advise the LDWF and the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission on matters pertaining to the management and development of the Louisiana crab industry. The Task Force is comprised of 20 members including 13 voting members representing crab dealers or processors, soft crab producers and commercial hard crab fishermen who most practicably represent diverse geographic areas as well as 7 non-voting members representing state agency and university biologists, law enforcement officers, economists and an attorney. Non-voting members serve to provide assistance to the Task Force in the development of methods to increase the production and marketability of crabs. All members must be appointed by the LDWF Secretary and confirmed by the State Senate and serve terms as provided for in the task force by-laws. Additionally, legislation enacted in 2008 (LA R.S. 42:1124.2) now requires members of certain boards and commissions including task force members to file annual financial disclosure statements to the Louisiana Board of Ethics by May 15 of each year. This legislation also states that task force appointments shall as near as practicable represent diverse geographic areas according to crab licenses; consequently, task force appointment are needed across the coast.
The Task Force routinely meets 4 to 5 times a year or on as needed basis at LDWF headquarters in Baton Rouge to discuss topics affecting the crab fishery ranging from new legislation, Louisiana crab promotion and marketing activities, and crab bait availability. The next task force meeting is scheduled on Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 4:30 p.m. in the Louisiana Room at LDWF headquarters located at 2000 Quail Drive in Baton Rouge. Anyone interested in serving or needing additional information on the Louisiana Crab Task Force is urged to attend or to contact Martin Bourgeois at 225 765-2401 (mbourgeois@wlf.la.gov) or Vince Guillory at 985 594-4130 (vguillory@wlf.la.gov).
In a 2006 report on the economic benefits of wildlife, fisheries and boating in Louisiana prepared by Southwick Associates, the commercial blue crab fishery had an estimated total economic contribution to the state economy of $293.3 million. In 2008, the LDWF issued 3,058 commercial crab trap licenses and fishermen reported landing 40.1 million pounds of crabs with a dockside value of $32.1 million. In addition to the crab fishery’s economic contribution to the state, the fishery is heavily utilized by recreational fishermen who purchased 5,258 recreational crab trap licenses in 2008.
