Regulations
Two crab trap closures and clean ups took place in 2004 -- a winter closure in a
portion of the Terrebonne Bay Estuary and a spring closure in a portion of Vermilion
Bay.
The winter crab trap closure was for a 16-day period from 6:00 a.m.,
February 28, 2004 through 6:00 a.m. March 14, 2004 within the upper Terrebonne
/ Timbalier Bay Estuary in Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes as described below
and depicted in the map:
- From a point originating at the southern boundary of the Pointe au Chenes
Wildlife Management Area at the South Lafourche Hurricane Protection Levee,
- Thence west along the southern boundary of the Pointe au Chenes Wildlife
Management Area to the Humble Canal,
- Thence west along the northern shoreline of Humble Canal to its intersection
with Bayou Terrebonne,
- Thence south along the western shoreline of Bayou Terrebonne to its
intersection with Bush Canal,
- Thence west along the northern shoreline of Bush Canal to its intersection
with Bayou Little Caillou,
- Thence north along the eastern shoreline of Bayou Little Caillou to the Gulf
South / South Coast Natural Gas Pipeline in Chauvin,
- Thence northwest along the Gulf South / South Coast Natural Gas Pipeline to
LA Highway 57,
- Thence south and then southeast along LA Highway 57 to its intersection with
LA Highway 56,
- Thence south along LA Highway 56 to latitude 29 degrees 17 minutes 00 seconds N,
- Thence east along latitude 29 degrees 17 minutes 00 seconds N to LA Highway 1,
- Thence north along LA Highway 1 to the South Lafourche Hurricane Protection
Levee,
- Thence north along the South Lafourche Hurricane Protection Levee and
terminating at the southern boundary of the Pointe au Chenes Wildlife
Management Area.
The spring crab trap closure was from 6:00 a.m. Friday May 14 through 6:00 a.m.
Saturday, May 22. This closure period included the opening of 2004 Spring
inshore shrimp season in Vermilion Bay.
The closure area is described below and depicted in the map:
- From a point originating at the intersection of the Acadiana Navigational
Channel and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway,
- Thence southwest along the Acadiana Navigational Channel red buoy line to the
red navigational marker number 12 on the Marsh Island shoreline near Southwest
Pass,
- Thence south along the eastern shore of Southwest Pass to a position which
intersects the inside/outside shrimp line as defined in R.S.56:495,
- Thence west along the inside/outside shrimp line to the western shore of
Freshwater Bayou,
- Thence north along the western shore of Freshwater Bayou to its
intersection with the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway,
- Thence east along the northern shore of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway to
the intersection of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and the eastern shore of
the Acadiana Navigational Channel.
All crab traps remaining in the closed area during the specified period were
considered abandoned. Anyone could collect the derelict crab traps from
the closure area during the closure period. For the winter closure only, the
derelict crab traps could only be removed from between one-half hour
before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. The abandoned traps had to be
brought
to sites designated by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
(LDWF) Secretary, and could not be possessed outside of the closed area. However,
nonserviceable traps
may be possessed by a shrimp fisherman outside of the closed area when in
compliance with R.S. 56:332, which has several stipulations:
- Unserviceable crab traps caught incidentally in shrimp gear must be
returned to shore for proper disposal.
- Serviceable crab traps caught incidentally in shrimp gear must be returned
to the water with a “common” (one-gallon or larger bleach bottle) float
attached.
- A serviceable crab trap is defined as any crab trap of legal construction
and capable of harvesting blue cabs.
Results
A total of 6,676 crab traps were collected in the winter Terrebonne Bay Estuary
closure and at least 90 vessels and 215 volunteers participated. LDWF boats and
employees are excluded from the boat and volunteer totals; however, their trap
totals are included.
A total of 218 traps were collected during the spring Vermilion Bay closure;
of these, 118 were collected by LDWF personnel. The numbers of volunteers
and boats that participated is unknown because most of the traps were deposited
at night or during the week when no LDWF personnel were present.
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