News

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries eReporting app for the 2023-2024 Public Oyster Season is Live

oyster shells

eReporting is a mobile application developed by Shellcatch for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries that allows those individuals harvesting oysters from the Public Oyster Areas and Seed Grounds for oyster resource to report what was harvested for a given date. This application allows users to report harvest information…

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LWFC Passes NOI to Modify Rules for Menhaden Fishery

Image: Map for Proposed Menhaden Buffer Modification

At yesterday’s meeting, the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission passed a Notice of Intent (NOI) to amend rules to the menhaden fishery regarding the buffer zone and spill reporting. Buffer Zone This portion of the NOI establishes a coastal buffer zone for the commercial harvest of menhaden 1-mile off the entire…

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National Hunting and Fishing Day to be Held Sept. 23, LDWF Announces

Image: National Hunting and Fishing Day

Louisiana’s National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHFD) will be held Saturday (Sept. 23) at four locations across the state, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) announced. Waddill Wildlife Refuge in Baton Rouge, Woodworth Shooting Range in Woodworth, the Tom Merrill Recreation Area at Bodcau Wildlife Management Area (WMA)…

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The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission Sets the 2023-2024 Oyster Season

oysters

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission set the 2023-2024 oyster season based on the annual oyster stock assessment provided by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries biologists and comments received from members of the public, including the oyster industry. The following dates were set for the upcoming oyster season: The…

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LWFC Adopts Notice of Intent Extending the Modified Gear Use for the Special Bait Dealer’s Permit

closeup on colorful fishing nets

Today, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission adopted a notice of intent (NOI) to amend the existing permit rules to extend the sunset for the Special Bait Dealer’s Permit current gear requirements to December 31, 2026.  The Special Bait Dealer’s Permit was designed to provide live bait to the recreational…

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Recreational Greater Amberjack State, Federal Fishing Season to Close August 25

greater amberjack

The federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a closure for the recreational Greater Amberjack fishery because catch limits established by the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council have been met. The 2023 recreational season for the harvest of greater amberjack in the federal and state waters of…

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The LWFC Amends Notice of Intent Modifying Spotted Seatrout Size And Bag Limits

four men fishing from inshore charter boat

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) amended the Notice of Intent (NOI) to change spotted seatrout size and bag limits.  The commission proposes to amend the original Notice of Intent to a minimum size limit of 13 inches and establish a maximum size limit of 20 inches with an allowance for…

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LDWF Plans Six Crab Trap Closures Along Louisiana Coast for 2024

People returning derlict crab traps

At 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…

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LDWF Announces Opening Date for the Fall Inshore Shrimp Season

Image: Inshore Waters shrimp season map

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 grants permit for pilot project to test stocking of hatchery-raised red drum

Close up of redfish face

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is providing a special permit to transport and stock approximately 10,000 red drum fingerlings in the Calcasieu Lake estuary as part of a pilot project to investigate the biological and ecological efficacy of stocking with hatchery-raised fish. The fish are expected to…

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