Wildlife & Fisheries Commission

Spring Shrimp Season to Open in a Portion of Louisiana Inshore Waters May 1

Image: Inshore Waters shrimp season map

Today, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission convened a special meeting to consider setting the opening of the spring shrimp season in a portion of state inshore waters.  The Commission set the opening based on information provided by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries biologists and public comments.  The Commission…

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Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission to Hold Special Meeting to Set Shrimp Season

shrimp boat at sea

The Special Commission Meeting will be held at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, April 19, at the Wildlife and Fisheries Headquarters Building located at 2000 Quail Drive, Baton Rouge, LA  Agenda for Special Meeting 1.   Call to Order 2.   Pledge of Allegiance 3.   Roll Call 4.   Commission Special Announcements / Personal…

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Notice of Intent to Reduce Cobia Recreational and Commercial Bag Limits

illustration of a cobia fish by Diane Rome Peebles

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) adopted a Notice of Intent (NOI) to decrease the current 2 fish daily bag limit to 1 fish daily per person and establish a two fish per vessel / per day limit regardless of the number of trips for both recreational and commercial harvest….

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Commercial Large Coastal Sharks Possession Limit Increases to 55 Sharks

blacktip shark

Officials with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced the daily possession limit for commercially harvested large coastal sharks (great hammerhead, scalloped hammerhead, smooth hammerhead, nurse shark, blacktip shark, bull shark, lemon shark, sandbar shark, silky shark, spinner shark, and tiger shark) is increasing from 45 to 55 per…

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Reminder: Flounder Season Set to Close October 15 to November 30

box of several flounder and one black drum

An annual closed season for the recreational and commercial harvest of Southern Flounder from October 15 through November 30 of each year has been finalized. This statewide closure for Southern Flounder is for all sectors and all gear types, including any flounder caught as bycatch in any other fishery.  Exemptions…

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Swordfish and Roundscale Spearfish Regulations Modified for Consistency with Feds

charter boat deckhand gets fish on line for customer

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission passed a notice of intent at their meeting today to modify swordfish regulations.  The proposed rule would adjust swordfish possession limits to be 1 per angler or 4 per vessel on recreational trips, 1 per angler or 6 per vessel on charter vessels, and 1…

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LDWF Announces Opening Date for the Fall Inshore Shrimp Season

map showing opening areas of the fall inshore shrimp season

Today, 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…

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LDWF Plans Four Crab Trap Closures Along Louisiana Coast

derelict crab trap

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) adopted a Notice of Intent (NOI) allowing the removal of derelict crab traps along Louisiana’s coast in 2023 from the four following described areas: 1.    The first closure will take place in the Pontchartrain Basin, in an area between Delacroix, River Aux Chenes,…

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LWFC Proposes Removal of Shark Closed Season

Young man on charter boat holding bent rod with fish on line

Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission passed a notice of intent at their meeting today to remove the shark closed season for recreational and commercial fishermen.  Currently, shark season is closed for 3 months from April to June for recreational and commercial possession.  The proposed regulations would remove the closed season….

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LWFC Passes NOI to Add Oysters, Brown Trout to Domesticated Aquatic Organism Approved Species List

LA Fisheries Forward caged oysters

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved a Notice of Intent (NOI) to update the Domesticated Aquatic Organism (DAO) approved species list by adding Eastern Oyster and Brown Trout. In addition to adding these two species, the NOI proposes creating the Molluscan Shellfish permit and the Coldwater Trout permit. This…

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