Closure effective at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, May 1
Recreational fishing for gray triggerfish will close in Louisiana waters May 1 at 12:01 a.m. and remain closed until January 1, 2015, according to a press release from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
According to LDWF, NOAA Fisheries has determined the annual recreational catch of 217,000 pounds has almost been caught and the closure is necessary to prevent exceeding the target allocation, the release states.
NOAA Fisheries also will close the federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico for gray triggerfish on May 1, the release states.
LDWF Secretary Robert Barham was authorized by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission to change or modify the opening and closing dates for any recreational reef fish season in Louisiana waters when notified by NOAA Fisheries, or as he deems necessary.