Louisiana Blue Crab Fishery
Louisiana Fisheries Forward has put together a wide variety of resources to help crab fishermen understand licensing and reporting requirements, harvest regulations, crab trap rules, and best handling methods to produce a superior crab product.
There are new requirements in place to obtain a crab trap gear license if you are new to the industry. To be exempt from the Commercial Crab Gear Requirements program, a fisherman must have held a valid commercial crab trap gear license for any two years between 2011 and 2014. For complete details on program requirements, visit the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries website.
We encourage all our crabbers to get involved in the management of our fishery. Join the Blue Crab Task Force, or attend their open meetings; sign up for alerts from Wildlife and Fisheries, Sea Grant and other agencies; and attend LFF workshops and dock days for the best information on quality handling, safety, new equipment, and more.
As we continue to add information to this web site, visit the resource links below for more on regulations, product handling, gear and equipment, and responsible fishing practices.
This video is for educational purposes only. Watching this video does not fulfill the basic requirements for the LDWF Commercial Crab Gear Requirement; for more information visit: https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/mandatory-crab-trap-license-training.
The 7,721 miles of Louisiana shoreline—where fresh and salt water mix and mingle—provide the perfect habitat for the blue crab, or callinectes sapidus. Louisiana is the number one domestic supplier of blue crab in the nation; 45 million pounds of blue crab are landed here in an average year, with an estimated $53 million dockside value. The blue crab fishery is the first to be certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
LDWF Plans Six Crab Trap Closures Along Louisiana Coast for 2024
August 3, 2023At today’s meeting, 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 2024 from the six following described areas: The first closure will occur in the Pontchartrain Basin, between southern Lake Borgne and the eastern…
LDWF Announces Commercial Fishing License Sale Locations and Dates
April 3, 2023The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will offer new or renewal commercial fishing licenses and boat registration transactions at the following locations: Lake Charles Office **NEW LOCATION** 1025 Tom Watson Rd. Lake Charles, LA” April 24 & 25 9 am – 3:30 pm Lafayette Office 200 Dulles Drive Lafayette,…
Louisiana Fisheries Forward Summit 2023: Finding New Opportunities for Innovation
February 26, 2023Commercial fishermen, dock owners and processors will have the opportunity to learn about issues facing their industry at the Louisiana Fisheries Forward Summit, Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at the Pontchartrain Center, 4545 Williams Blvd., Kenner. Admission is free, but advance registration is required for those wanting lunch. This expo is…
