Today, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) announced the commercial season for king mackerel in Louisiana waters will close at 12 p.m. (noon) on Friday, January 17, 2020.

Each year, a commercial quota is established for Gulf of Mexico group king mackerel by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) based on recommendations by the Gulf and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils. That figure is then allocated to various zones and fisheries.  According to the best information available, the 1.116 million pound commercial quota of king mackerel for the western zone of the Gulf of Mexico has been harvested.

While there are relatively few king mackerel harvested or targeted by Louisiana recreational anglers, a substantial commercial fishery exists, which typically lands 800 to 900 thousand pounds annually at Louisiana ports.  A significant portion of the king mackerel landed in Louisiana ports is shipped to markets in the northeast United States.

For more information, contact Jason Adriance at 504.284.2032 or [email protected] .

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us atwww.wlf.la.gov. To receive email alerts, signup at http://www.wlf.la.gov/signup.