Commercial Fishing

The DESCEND Act of 2020 will go into effect in January 2022

photo of red snapper with barotrauma on descending device

The Direct Enhancement of Snapper Conservation and the Economy through Novel Devices Act of 2020 (DESCEND Act of 2020) was signed into law on January 13, 2021. The new Act will require commercial and recreational vessels (including for-hire) to have a venting tool or descending device rigged and ready to…

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LDWF Announces Process to Lift Oyster Moratorium

hands holding single oyster, with oysters in background

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is lifting the long-standing oyster lease moratorium, which has been in effect since 2002.  The moratorium, which halted LDWF’s practice of leasing state-owned water bottoms to private entities for oyster cultivation, was originally instituted by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission at…

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January 2021 Gulf Council Meeting Summary

red snapper

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council met virtually from January 25 – 28, 2021. During the meeting, the Council presented Sergeant Scott Dupre of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries with the 2019 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award. The Council also heard a presentation on Deepwater Horizon Open…

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Commercial Gillnet Harvest of King Mackerel in Southern Zone-Federal Waters Closed

king mackerel swimming

Commercial gillnet harvest of king mackerel in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico Southern Zone closed at 12 p.m., local time, on January 28, 2021. Commercial king mackerel gillnet harvest will reopen at 6:00 a.m., (local time) on January 18, 2022. The Gulf of Mexico Southern Zone includes federal waters…

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Shrimp Season to Close in Portions of State Inshore and Outside Waters

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced the 2020 fall shrimp season will close at official sunset on Sunday, January 24, in the following portions of the state inside and outside waters: Lake Pontchartrain, Chef Menteur and Rigolets Passes, Lake Borgne, Mississippi Sound, Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), a…

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2021 Derelict Crab Trap Rodeo Event; Closures Will Remain

crab traps floating in water

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) will not host its annual Derelict Crab Trap Rodeo volunteer cleanup event in 2021.  These events have taken place across coastal Louisiana since 2004, but concerns from increasing COVID-19 cases have led to the decision to cancel the event. The scheduled closures…

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Workforce Development Summit Panel Summary

Speaker addressing crowd at Summit

The commercial fishing industry in Louisiana has experienced changes within its demographics. Specifically, issues include aging of the fleet, (i.e., an increase in the average age of fishing vessels over time) and the graying of the fleet (i.e., an increase over time in the average age of fishing workers). While…

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