Eastern shore of Bayou Lafourche specified
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries clarified their initial closing notice on the inshore shrimp season issued on Wednesday, specifying that the Terrebonne Basin from the eastern shore of Bayou Lafourche westward to the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel at Eugene Island closed Thursday at 6 a.m.
This closing does not affect portions of lower Timbalier Bay, Terrebonne Bay, Lake Pelto and Pelican Lake that border the Gulf of Mexico.
Specifically, the inside waters within the Terrebonne Basin that will remain open to shrimping are bounded by the following coordinates: south of 29 degrees 15 minutes 00 seconds north latitude from 90 degrees 18 minutes 00 seconds west longitude westward to 90 degrees 34 minutes 00 seconds west longitude, and south of 29 degrees 07 minutes 00 seconds north latitude from 90 degrees 34 minutes 00 seconds west longitude westward to 90 degrees 50 minutes 30 seconds west longitude.
To see the initial story detailing the full closing information released on Wednesday, click here.
Data collected in recent weeks by LDWF biologists indicate increased quantity, distribution and percentage of small, juvenile white shrimp within these waters. The decision to close this area was made in an effort to protect these developing shrimp and provide opportunity for growth to larger and more marketable sizes.
LDWF is extending the shrimp season in these lower coastal bays and lakes to provide shrimpers with added opportunities to harvest emigrating brown shrimp while limiting adverse impacts to developing white shrimp populations. However, if compliance among shrimpers with respect to these boundaries becomes a problem, LDWF will immediately close these waters to shrimping, according to the release.
For a map detailing these closures please click here:
All remaining state inside waters, as well as all state outside waters seaward of the Inside/Outside shrimp line, will remain open to shrimp harvesting until further notice, with the exception of those areas still closed to recreational and commercial fishing due to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Maps of the areas still closed to recreational and commercial fishing are posted to the LDWF website at www.wlf.louisiana.gov/oilspill
