News

LDWF Announces Commercial Fishing License Sale Locations and Dates

fishing boats

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will offer new or renewal commercial fishing licenses and boat registration transactions at the following locations: New Orleans Office 2045 Lakeshore Drive Suite 438 New Orleans Nov. 29 – Dec. 1 8am – 3:30pm Lake Charles Office **NEW LOCATION** 1025 Tom Watson Rd….

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Register NOW for Summit, Early Bird Prize Drawing

vendor booths set up at Pontchartrain Center at Summit 2020

The Louisiana seafood industry is working to Recover + Rebuild + Reinvent post COVID and hurricanes. You’re getting back to business, and it’s the perfect time to catch up on what’s new at the Louisiana Fisheries Forward Summit on March 1, 2023, at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner. REGISTER NOW for an Early Bird Drawing — We are giving…

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Gulf Council Recommends New Greater Amberjack Allocations and Catch Limits

greater amberjack

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council took final action on Reef Fish Amendment 54: Modifications to Greater Amberjack Catch Limits and Sector Allocations. The most recent greater amberjack stock assessment (SEDAR 70 2020) determined that greater amberjack is both overfished and experiencing overfishing. The stock is scheduled to rebuild by…

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Revisions to Gulf Cobia Catch Limits, Possession Limits, and Size Limits

Fisherman holding a cobia on boat

Key Messages: NOAA Fisheries announces implementation of the final rule for Amendment 32 to the Fishery Management Plan for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Region.   When Rule Will Take Effect: Regulations become effective November 21, 2022.   What This Means: Amendment 32: Modifies…

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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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LDWF: 2023 Derelict Crab Trap Cleanup Event; Volunteers and Sponsors Needed

People returning derlict crab traps

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) will host its annual Derelict Crab Trap Rodeo volunteer cleanup event this February.  LDWF encourages volunteers and sponsors to participate in these events to make the crab trap rodeos successful in 2023 and keep our Sportsman’s Paradise pristine. Volunteers Volunteers will help…

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LDWF has Completed the Construction of Two Oyster Reefs in Drum Bay

loading oyster cultch onto boat

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has completed the construction of two oyster reefs totaling approximately 230 acres in Drum Bay (St. Bernard Parish) to increase oyster habitat and fisheries production. The construction process, known as cultch planting, is a proven habitat improvement technique used by LDWF. This…

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Wildlife and Fisheries Announces Stock Assessment Schedule

Close up of redfish face

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is currently conducting stock assessments on important recreational and commercial fish stocks, including Redfish (Red Drum), in Louisiana state waters. Stock assessments are computer-modeled simulations of fish populations that incorporate life history metrics (age, growth, reproduction), stock abundance information (survey catch effort),…

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LA Wildlife and Fisheries Commission Sets the 2022-2023 Oyster Season

2022-2023 Oyster Season Statewide Open and Closed Map

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission set the 2022-2023 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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New Cameron Alternative Oyster Culture Park under Development, Now Accepting Grow-out Farm Applicants

LA Fisheries Forward caged oysters

The Cameron Parish Port, Harbor and Terminal District has been selected for an Alternative Oyster Culture (AOC) grant in the amount of $100,000 to establish a new, 48-acre oyster Park at the southern end of Calcasieu Lake. The Port Commission recently approved the establishment of said Park and encourages potential…

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