Three-day daily creel limits OK if certified by LDWF staff
Overnight guests at Port Eads Marina south of Venice can now legally possess three daily creel limits of fish — if the anglers receive certification by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fishereis staff, the agency reported today.
The regulations were approved by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission because of the remote nature of the marina.
These new rules also allow overnight guests at Port Eads Marina to clean their catch and transport fileted fish to land-based ports in Louisiana, but only if LDWF staff inspect and certify the catches, according to an LDWF news release.
Catch inspections and certifications can only be issued when LDWF staff is at the marina, the agency reported.
When an LDWF certifying agent is present, recreational anglers may seek inspection and certification provided the fisherman is in compliance with the following requirements:
1. The fisherman holds and is in possession of all current recreational fishing licenses required.
2. The fisherman is in possession of and can provide a receipt issued by the Port Eads Marina facility that demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the department, an overnight stay at the Port Eads Marina facility.
3. Catches can only be inspected and certified for days on which LDWF staff is present at the facility. Upon landing his or her daily catch at the Port Eads Marina, the fisherman will contact LDWF staff on duty at the marina so the catch can be inspected to ensure that the species, size and daily creel are within legal limits. Following inspection, fish can be fileted and must be marked with catch certification tags that will be provided by the certifying agent.
4. Once certified, the fishermen will be issued an interview form and bag tags for all bags of fish that correlate with an individual angler’s catch. No active fishing can take place on board a vessel transporting bags of certified catch.
5. The fisherman is only in possession of his or her fish and shall not transport fish taken by another person back to the boat landing.
When a LDWF certifying agent is not present, fishermen should adhere to the state-wide, on the water possession limits, the LDWF said.
For more information on the rules and a list of future dates when a certifying agent will be at the marina, visit http://www.fishla.org/port-eads-marina-regulations.
