Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Louisiana Closes Special Shrimp Season Today

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Secretary Robert Barham has announced that the special shrimp season in the remaining portion of Zone 1, including all state territorial waters seaward of the inside/outside shrimp line, from the Mississippi/Louisiana state line to the western shore of South Pass at the Mississippi River at 89 degrees 08 minutes 42 seconds west longitude, and all inshore waters of Zone 2, will close at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 4, 2010.

Last week, Secretary Barham announced a special shrimp season in these state waters due to potential effects from the Gulf oil spill.

LDWF biologists collected data that indicates the marketable white shrimp have been harvested and the juvenile brown shrimp remain. In an effort to preserve the smaller brown shrimp, the season has been closed. This closure is not a result of oil-effected water.

The opening dates for the 2010 spring inshore shrimp season will be set by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission which meets this Thursday, May 6.

For more information related to the oil spill, visit www.emergency.louisiana.gov Connect with us on www.facebook.com/GOHSEP and on Twitter @GOHSEP.