Following Hurricane Ida’s August 29 landfall, LDWF staff estimate that approximately 280 million fish were killed in inland waters, over an area that spanned approximately 1.8 million acres. LDWF staff notes strongly that there is no way to know exactly how many fish were killed following the storm. However, biologists…
Time is running out to sign up to participate in the 2022 derelict crab trap rodeo events. Two events are scheduled for this year: one in the Barataria Basin and one in the Calcasieu Basin (more details below). These rodeo events allow LDWF and members of the public to work…
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced the 2021 fall shrimp season will close at official sunset on Monday, 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…
Hurricanes Laura, Delta, Zeta, and Ida, which swept through Louisiana during various points in 2020 and 2021, resulted in an estimated $579 million in losses to the state’s fisheries infrastructure, revenues, and biological resources, according to a study by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, LSU and Louisiana Sea…
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has completed construction of four reefs located at Petit Pass, Karako Bay, Lake Machias, and Mozambique Point in Plaquemines and St. Bernard Parishes. Approximately 5,000 cubic yards of limestone was placed within each 10-acre site for a total of about 20,000 cubic…
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced that the 2021 fall inshore shrimp season will close in all state inside waters on Monday, December 20, 2021, at official sunset, with the exception of the following inside waters east of the Mississippi River: Lake Pontchartrain, including Chef Menteur and Rigolets Passes,…
The first round of Alternative Oyster Culture (AOC) grant applications will open Dec. 8. 2021, and close Jan. 13, 2022. Applications can be found at www.laseafoodfuture.com/aoc. A public meeting to review eligibility and the scoring process will be held Dec. 16, 2021, at 6 p.m. via Zoom; register by Dec. 15 at http://lsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dhghhTIt4pOlgJo….
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, for-hire, and private recreational vessels to have a venting tool or descending device rigged and ready to…
Louisiana Sea Grant College Program at LSU announces that the Louisiana Fisheries Forward Summit is postponed until March 1, 2023. Normally held every two years, Summit is the state’s premier commercial fishing and seafood event that offers workshops, demonstrations, and expo. “It was a tough call to postpone, but Hurricane…
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ (LDWF) new Commercial License fee structure went into effect on November 15, 2021. Commercial fishermen are also reminded that most of their licenses can be renewed online at www.wlf.la.gov by clicking on “Buy A License”. However, due to changes enacted in the 2021 legislative session, some…