Some state waters east of the Mississippi River to remain open, LDWF says
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Robert Barham accounced the fall shrimp season in most state waters will close at official sunset next Monday, Dec. 21.
All state inside waters from the Mississippi/Louisiana line westward to the Texas/Louisiana line will close, except for the following waters east of the Mississippi River:
Lake Pontchartrain, Chef Menteur and Rigolets Passes, Lake Borgne, Mississippi Sound, Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), and the open waters of Breton and Chandeleur Sounds as bounded by the double-rig line.
For a map detailing the closing, click here.
Existing data do not currently support shrimping closures in additional state inside or outside waters, according to a press release. However, historic data suggest additional closures may be needed in the near future and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will continue monitoring shrimp populations in these waters.
Regulations state that the possession count on saltwater, white shrimp shall average no more than 100 (whole shrimp) per pound, with the exception of October 15 through the third Monday in December, when there is no minimum count size.
Recent sampling conducted by the LDWF Fisheries biologists indicates that average white shrimp size in those waters to be closed are smaller than the minimum possession size limit, the release states.
This action, which characteristically takes place at this time of year, is designed to protect small, white shrimp and provide opportunity for these populations to over-winter and grow to larger, more marketable sizes.
For more information on the closing, contact Jeff Marx at 337-373-0032.
