TED Requirements for Skimmer Trawls: In an effort to strengthen sea turtle conservation efforts, NOAA Fisheries is offering a reminder to the shrimp industry of current TED requirements. A TED is a device that allows sea turtles to escape from trawl nets, and their use is required by regulations implemented…
From the desk of Harry March, Commercial Fishing Vessel Examiner: As we all prepare for the new year it’s time to start thinking about your FREE USCG Safety Exam. Don’t wait till the last minute as there are only a few examiners in each region. The below link can assist…
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council met virtually from January 24-27, 2022. The Council began by electing Dr. Greg Stunz as Vice Chair. The Council also revised and adopted Committee assignments through August 2022. The following is a brief overview of what was accomplished during the meeting: Vermilion Snapper After hearing…
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 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,…
LSU AgCenter’s School of Food Sciences is offering two Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) related workshops for seafood dealers—specifically processors, packers, wholesalers, importers, harvesters and warehouses. Both courses will be held at LSU’s Efferson Hall, at the corner of Highland Rd. and E. Parker Blvd.; advance registration is required and…
NOAA Fisheries is publishing a temporary rule to allow shrimp fishers to continue to use limited tow times as an alternative to Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in specific Louisiana state waters from 91° 23’ West longitude eastward to the Louisiana/Mississippi border, and seaward out three nautical miles. This temporary rule…
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…