Four crab trap closures and clean ups took place in 2005:

• Sabine Lake
• Terrebonne Bay Estuary
• Breton Sound Estuary
• Vermilion Bay / West Cote Blanche Bay

The crab trap closure was for a 10-day period from 6:00 a.m., February 18, 2005 through 6:00 a.m. February 27, 2005 within that portion of Sabine Lake in Cameron Parish as described below and depicted in the map:

• From a point originating from the intersection of the southern side of LA Highway 82 and the eastern shore of Sabine Lake,
• Thence north along the eastern shoreline of Sabine Lake to its intersection with East Pass,
• Thence due north to Sabine Island,
• Thence west along the southern shoreline of Sabine Island to its westward most point,
• Thence due west to the Texas state line, thence south along the Louisiana / Texas state line to its intersection with LA Highway 82,
• Thence east along the southern side of LA Highway 82 and terminating at its intersection with the eastern shore of Sabine Lake.

The crab trap closure was for a 16-day period from 6:00 a.m., March 5, 2005 through 6:00 a.m. March 20, 2005 within that portion of the Terrebonne Bay Estuary in Terrebonne Parish as described below and depicted in the map:

• From a point originating from the intersection of LA Highway 57 and Dulac Canal,
• Thence east along LA Highway 57 to its intersection with LA 56,
• Thence due east to the western shoreline of Bayou Little Caillou,
• Thence north along the western shoreline of Bayou Little Caillou to its intersection with Lapeyrouse Canal,
• Thence east along the northern shoreline of Lapeyrouse Canal to its intersection with Bayou Terrebonne,
• Thence south along the eastern shoreline of Bayou Terrebonne to its intersection with Seabreeze Pass,
• Thence southwest to channel marker number 17 of the Houma Navigation Channel (Lat. 29 degrees, 11 minutes 11.3 seconds N., Long. 90 degrees 36 minutes, 44.5 seconds W.), thence southwest to the northern most point on Pass la Poule Island (Lat. 29 degrees 08 minutes 33.5 seconds N., Long. 90 degrees 39 seconds 01.3 seconds W.),
• Thence west to Bayou Sale channel marker (Lat. 29 degrees 06 minutes 31.8 seconds N., Long. 90 degrees 44 minutes 34.2 seconds W.),
• Thence north to the western shoreline of Bayou Sale,
• Thence north along the western shoreline of Bayou Sale to its intersection with Four Point Bayou,
• Thence north along the western shoreline of Four Point Bayou its intersection with the Houma Navigation Channel,
• Thence north along the western shoreline of the Houma Navigation Channel to its intersection with Bayou Grand Caillou,
• Thence north along the western shoreline of Bayou Grand Caillou to its intersection with Dulac Canal,
• thence east along the northern shoreline of Dulac Canal and terminating at its intersection with LA Highway 57.

The crab trap closure was for a 16-day period from 6:00 a.m., February 26, 2005 through 6:00 a.m. March 13, 2005 within that portion of St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes as described below and depicted in the map:

• From a point originating from the intersection of LA Highway 39 and LA Highway 46,
• Thence east along LA Highway 46 to its intersection with LA Highway 300,
• Thence east and then south along LA Highway 300 to its termination,
• Thence due south to Bayou Terre aux Bouefs,
• Thence east along the northern shoreline of Bayou Terre aux Bouefs to its intersection with the “twin pipeline”,
• Thence south along the eastern edge of the “twin pipeline” to the eastern shoreline of the Mississippi River,
• Thence north along the eastern shoreline of the Mississippi River to a point due west of the intersection of LA Highway 39 and LA Highway 46,
• Thence due east and terminating at the intersection of LA Highway 39 and LA Highway 46.

The crab trap closure was for a 9-day period beginning at 6:00 a.m. on the opening of the 2005 Spring inshore shrimp season in Vermilion Bay / West Cote Blanche Bay (Saturday, May 16) and ending at 6:00 a.m. nine days later at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 22 in Vermilion Bay / West Cote Blanche Bay within a portion of Iberia and St. Mary Parishes as described below and depicted in the map:

• From a point originating from the intersection of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and the Acadiana Navigational Channel,
• 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 east along the shoreline of Marsh Island to Longitude 91 degrees 43 minutes 00 seconds W,
• Thence north along Longitude 91 degrees 43 minutes 00 seconds W to the shoreline of West Cote Blanche Bay,
• Thence west along the northern shoreline of West Cote Blanche Bay to its intersection with the Ivanhoe Canal,
• Thence north along the eastern shoreline of the Ivanhoe Canal to its intersection with the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway,
• Thence west along the northern shoreline of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and terminating at the Acadiana Navigational Channel.

All crab traps remaining in the closed areas during the specified periods were considered abandoned and could be removed by anyone and brought back to disposal sites designated by the Secretary of the LDWF. For the winter closures only, crab traps could be removed only between one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. No person removing crab traps from the designated closed areas could possess these traps outside of the closed areas. However, nonserviceable traps could be possessed by a shrimp fisherman outside of the closure 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.

Designated disposal sites included:

• Sabine Lake -- Public launch at LA Highway 82.
• Terrebonne Bay Estuary – LUMCON (on LA Hwy. 56 in Cocodrie) and Boudreaux’s Marina (at end of Four Point Road south of Dulac).
• Breton Sound Estuary -- End of the World Marina (on LA Hwy. 300 in Delacroix) and Pointe a la Hache Marina (on LA Hwy. 39 in Pointe a la Hache).
• Vermilion Bay / West Cote Blanche Bay -- Quintana Canal (at Cypremort Point off LA Hwy. 319) and Marsh Island Refuge headquarters.

State derelict crab trap regulations did not provide authorization for access to private property; authorization could only be provided by individual landowners.

Results

A total of 4,623 derelict crab traps were retrieved and at least 46 volunteer boats participated. The number of traps and volunteer boats by closure area are shown below:

• Sabine Lake: 4 traps and 2 vounteer boats
• Breton Sound Estuary: 1,941 traps and 21 volunteer boats
• Terrebonne Bay Estuary: 2,437 traps and 23 volunteer boats
• Vermilion/West Cote Blanche Bays: 241 traps and an unknown number of volunteer boats