Louisiana Spring Shrimp Season Set to Open
OutdoorHub 05.03.12
The dates for the 2012 Louisiana spring shrimp season were announced at today’s meeting of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission. The spring shrimp season was set based on information providedby Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries biologists and on public comments.
The opening dates for the 2012 Louisiana shrimp season are as follows:
1) That portion of state inside waters from the Mississippi/Louisiana state line to the eastern shore of South Pass of the Mississippi River to open at 6 a.m. May 21
2) That portion of state inside waters from the eastern shore of South Pass of the Mississippi River to the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel Buoy Line to open at 6 a.m. May 7
3) That portion of state inside waters from the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel Buoy Line to the Louisiana/Texas state line to open at 6 a.m. May 21
4) That portion of state outside waters from the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel to the western shore of Freshwater Bayou to open at 6 a.m. May 21
For a map detailing these opening please click here.
LDWF biologists monitored water conditions and conducted over 900 trawl samples throughout the state’s estuarine and nearshore waters over the last five weeks to develop management recommendations for spring inshore opening dates. The Department provided projections of the dates when a minimum of 50 percent of the inshore brown shrimp population would reach 100 count per pound or larger.
Louisiana leads the nation in shrimp production and the shrimp fishery is the state’s largest and most valuable commercial fishery with 2011 landings totaling over 90.5 million pounds (heads-on) weight.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant resources. For more information, visit us atwww.wlf.louisiana.gov on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.
For more information on the spring inshore season contact Marty Bourgeois at (225)765-2401. For press inquiries contact Laura Wooderson at lwooderson@wlf.la.gov or (504)430-2623.
