Since 2004, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), together with individual volunteers and organizations, has successfully removed and disposed of over 45,000 abandoned and derelict crab traps. The removal of these crab traps is especially important to boating safety and crab harvesting efforts. Last year, LDWF, Lake Pontchartrain…
The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission set the opening dates for the fall inshore shrimp season based on information provided by biologists from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), input from the Louisiana Shrimp Task Force, and public comments. Season openings are as follows: From the Mississippi/Louisiana state…
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced the 2020 spring inshore shrimp season will close at 6 p.m. on Monday, July 6, 2020, in all remaining inshore waters from the Mississippi/Louisiana state line westward to the Louisiana/Texas state line. This closure includes the Louisiana portion of Mississippi Sound as…
The President of the United States recently signed an Executive Order on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth. The Executive Order aims to improve the competitiveness of our domestic seafood industry, put more Americans to work, and place more sustainably sourced and safe-to-eat seafood products on our families’ tables….
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced the 2020 spring inshore shrimp season will close at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1, 2020 from the Mississippi/Louisiana state line westward to the eastern shore of South Pass of the Mississippi River except for: the open waters of the Louisiana portion…
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council met virtually June 15 – 18, 2020. The following is a brief overview of what was accomplished. Fishing Access and Possession Allowances in Madison-Swanson and Steamboat Lumps Marine Protected Areas The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council took final action on a document…
The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission adopted a Notice of Intent (NOI) to decrease the commercial trip limit of greater amberjack from 1,500 lbs to 1,000 lbs gutted weight. This action matches those taken by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries in federal waters. Additionally, the NOI provides…
Fact sheets on COVID-19 specifically geared for commercial fishermen and processors have now been translated to Vietnamese. Experts from LSU School of Nutrition and Food Sciences and Louisiana Sea Grant put together tips for how to properly handle seafood during a public health emergency. Click here for the processors fact sheet, titled…
The Artificial Reef Program (Program) is responsible for the planning, siting, material selection, permitting, and monitoring oversight of inshore artificial reef development. Inshore reefs are those artificial reefs developed solely in Louisiana state waters between the Louisiana Intracoastal Waterway and the Louisiana coastline and within Lake Pontchartrain. Nearshore waters are…
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) will be opening its offices in phases beginning Friday, May 15, at its headquarters in Baton Rouge and across the state on Monday, May 18. The Baton Rouge office, located at 2000 Quail Drive, is opening earlier to focus on the large…