LDWF News

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents are seeking leads in the illegal killing of a black bear in Concordia Parish.

A reward of up to $7,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.  The Humane Society of the United States and The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust are offering $5,000, LDWF’s Operation Game Thief program up to $1,000, and the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation another $1,000.

A fisherman found the bear, badly decomposed, on Sept. 1 in the Atchafalaya River. The bear was a part of LDWF’s Black Bear Restoration Program and was radio collared over the past year to track the animal’s movements. The bear was normally tracked in the Turnbull Island area of Concordia Parish.

At this time, agents believe that the approximately four-year-old female bear was killed in Concordia Parish and thrown in the river, where her body then floated downstream.

The Louisiana black bear has been listed on the Federal Threatened and Endangered Species List since 1992. Residents are reminded that killing a Louisiana black bear is a violation of both state law and the federal Endangered Species Act. Violators are subject to penalties of up to $50,000 and six months in jail. In addition, a restitution fine of $10,000 for the animal may be imposed on anyone convicted of killing a black bear in Louisiana.

Anyone with information regarding this illegal bear killing should call the Louisiana Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-442-2511 or use LDWF's tip411 program. To use the tip411 program, citizens can text LADWF and their tip to 847411 or download the "LADWF Tips" iPhone and Android app from the Apple App Store or Google Play free of charge.

The hotline and the tip411 program are monitored 24 hours a day. Tipsters can also remain anonymous.

For more information, contact Adam Einck at 225-765-2465 or aeinck@wlf.la.gov.

The body of a Houma man was recovered from the Intracoastal Waterway in St. Mary Parish this morning, Oct. 6, by search and rescue officials.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division (LDWF) agents and St. Mary Sheriff’s Office (SMSO) deputies found the body of Wallace Bailey Jr., 38, at approximately 6:30 a.m. after searching throughout the night.

Officials were notified at 9 a.m. about a boating incident in in the Intracoastal Waterway near the intersection of Bayou Boeuf.

According to witnesses, Wallace Bailey Jr. was operating a small aluminum skiff with a hand tiller steering motor with his father Wallace Bailey Sr., 64, of Morgan City, as the passenger.  The skiff crossed a wake and quickly turned ejecting both men into the water and sinking the vessel.

Witnesses were able to pull Bailey Sr. from the water and Bailey Jr. sank below the water and didn’t resurface.

LDWF will be the lead investigative agency for this incident.  Neither man was wearing a personal flotation device.  Bailey Jr’s body was turned over to the St. Mary Parish Coroner’s Office.

For more information, contact Adam Einck at 225-765-2465 or aeinck@wlf.la.gov.

A Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agent was honored at the Oct. 2 Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission meeting held in Baton Rouge.

Shikar-Safari Club International presented their Officer of the Year award for Louisiana to LDWF Senior Agent Thomas Wolf, of Houma.  The Shikar-Safari award recognizes an agent from each state for outstanding efforts in conservation law enforcement.

“Senior Agent Wolf deserves all the accolades for being such a fine conservation agent for the department,” said Col. Joey Broussard.  “He does an excellent job of using his knowledge, tips from the public and experience when making decisions in the field on difficult cases.  He is also a very dependable agent who always ranks amongst the highest each year in case load.”

Wolf has been an LDWF agent for five years and mainly patrols Terrebonne Parish.  Wolf also received the LDWF Enforcement Division’s “2014 Agent of the Year” award. 

For more information, contact Adam Einck at 225-765-2465 or aeinck@wlf.la.gov.

Public Oyster Seed Ground Vessel Permit Appeals Board to Meet

10:00 a.m., Tuesday, October 7, 2014

UNO Advanced Technology Center, 2021 Lakeshore Drive, Suite 210,

New Orleans 70122

AGENDA

1.     Roll Call of Board Members

2.     Approval of Minutes from January 7, 2014 Meeting

3.     Hearing of New Renewal Permit Appeals

        a.  Derek Green

4.     Update on Recommendation Made at January 7, 2014 Meeting

5.     Receive Public Comments

6.     Set next meeting date

7.     Adjournment

This Board was established by Act 922 of the 2008 Regular Legislative Session for the purpose of hearing appeals of vessel permit denials by LDWF. Act 922 requires that anyone commercially harvesting oysters on the public oyster seed grounds and reservations, except those in Calcasieu Lake and Sabine Lake, must do so from a vessel holding a public oyster seed ground vessel permit issued by LDWF.

The meeting will be held in compliance with Louisiana’s Open Meetings Law as defined by Louisiana R.S. 42:11, et seq.  The public is invited to attend.

Those interested in listening to the meeting via Webinar or telephone may register at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4784161271396303873

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana's abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb, or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.

For more information please contact Ty Lindsey at 225-765-2387 or tlindsey@wlf.la.gov, for press inquiries contact Ashley Roth, 504-286-4162 or aroth@wlf.la.gov. 

 

October 2, 2014 – Today the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved a notice of intent to establish the Louisiana Catch and Cook Program and Permit, a program where permitted retail food establishments will be able to prepare certain recreational fish caught by properly licensed fishermen. Rules and regulations, penalties, terms, conditions and requirements will apply to those food establishments and fishermen participating in the program.

To view the Notice of Intent, as passed by the LWFC in its entirety, click here:  http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/news/38492-lwfc-takes-action-establish-catch-and-cook-program-and-permit/catchandcookpermitnoi9-15lw.pdf  

Public comment will be accepted at the LWFC monthly meetings through 4 p.m., December 1, 2014 Comments will also be accepted by email to Robert Bourgeois at rbourgeois@wlf.la.gov or by mail to Robert Bourgeois, Office of Fisheries, Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries, P.O. Box 9800, Baton Rouge, LA, 70898.

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana's abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.

(Oct. 2, 2014) - The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries would like to announce that construction of the new Cross Bayou Weir, located in the Larto-Saline Complex, is complete.  The water control structure is now closed, allowing the lake to refill and return to pool stage with adequate rainfall. 

Repeated blowouts of the original weir during flooding events, followed by emergency repairs made it necessary to move forward with the construction of a much more substantial structure. 

The weir was originally constructed in 1987 as a measure to restore water flow from the Black River.  The hydrology of the Larto-Saline Complex was seriously impaired by a series of Army Corps of Engineers projects.  Installation of the weir was instrumental in the restoration of the complex, and as a result, one of the most productive crappie fisheries in Louisiana was returned to recreational anglers. 

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana's abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb, or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.

For press inquiries contact Ashley Wethey at awethey@wlf.la.gov or (504) 286-8733.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014, 1 p.m.

UNO Advanced Technology Center, 2021 Lakeshore Drive, suite 210, New Orleans

Agenda

1. Roll call and introduction of guests
    
2. Approval of August 5 meeting minutes and October 7 agenda
    
3. Treasury Report
           A.  Oyster Tag Sales
           B.  LOTF Financial Report
    
4. Committee Reports
   1. Public and Private Oyster Grounds Committee (Buddy Pausina)
   2. Enforcement (Major Sammy Martin)
   3. Legislative (Jakov Jurisic)
   4. Research (Patrick Banks)
   5. Coastal Restoration (Dan Coulon)
   6. Marketing (Ashley Roth)
   7. Health (Lance Broussard)
   8. Sustainability (LDWF)
   9. Professionalism (LDWF)
       
5. Old Business
   1. BP Oil Spill Remediation
       
6. New Business
   1. 2015 Legislative Discussion-LDWF
   2. Trip Tickets- LDWF
   3. On-board Rapid Cooling of Cultured Oysters to Address Regulatory Needs-John Supan
       
7. Public Comment
    
8. Set Next Meeting
    
9. Adjourn

10:30 a.m., Tuesday, October 7, 2014

UNO Advanced Technology Center, 2021 Lakeshore Drive, Suite 210, New Orleans 70122

AGENDA

I.  Call to Order

II.  Discussion on Vessel Monitoring Systems for Public/Private oyster grounds

III. Adjourn

The meeting will be held in compliance with Louisiana’s Open Meetings Law as defined by Louisiana R.S. 42:11, et seq.  The public is invited to attend.

Those interested in listening in to the meeting via Webinar or telephone register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4784161271396303873

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana's abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb, or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.

For press inquiries please contact Ashley Roth, 504-286-4162 or aroth@wlf.la.gov

To sign up for LDWF Alerts sent as text messages and emails directly to your mobile device click   here.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents cited two men for alleged oyster violations in Plaquemines Parish on Sept. 26.

Agents cited Matthew J. Lepetich, 37, of Belle Chasse, and Jose M. Bocanegra, 45, of St. Bernard, for violations of the states oyster sanitation code that are intended for raw consumption.  Lepetich was also cited for violations of the vessel monitoring systems for oyster cargo vessels, failing to tag oysters properly and failing to maintain the required records for oyster cargo vessels.

The charges stem from agents stopping Lepetich in Bay Adams in Plaquemines Parish without the required Department of Health and Hospitals log sheet filled out.  The log sheet is used to indicate what the intended use was for the oysters.

After further investigation, agents learned that Lepetich was receiving oysters from one of his other vessels that were not refrigerated properly and which were intended for raw consumption.  The vessel those oysters were received from had no type of refrigeration on board.

The oysters harvested by Lepetich himself were also not properly tagged by lot ID’s in accordance with Department of Heath and Hospitals regulations for raw consumption oysters.

Lastly, Lepetich did not have the required vessel monitoring system on his vessel as required by oyster cargo vessels.

Agents seized 351 sacks of oysters and returned them to the water.

Violating the states oyster sanitation code for non-refrigerated oysters for raw consumption, failing to maintain required records for oyster vessels and the vessel monitoring system for oyster cargo vessels each brings a $400 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail.  Failing to tag oysters carries a $250 to $500 fine and up to 90 days in jail.

Agents participating in the case are Sgt. Adam Young, Senior Agent Joel Cromp, Sgt. Tim Fox, Senior Agent Brett Nabors, Senior Agent Robert Cosse Jr., and Agent Jeff Farmer.

For more information, contact Adam Einck at 225-765-2465 or aeinck@wlf.la.gov.

A Many man pleaded guilty on Sept. 26 to possessing a shotgun and ammunition after being convicted of multiple felonies, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced.

Jerry Kenneth Thompson Jr., 44, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of possessing a firearm and ammunition after a felony conviction.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) agents discovered Thompson on Dec. 31, 2013 in possession of a 12-gauge shotgun and ammunition while hunting on private property without permission and using a stolen deer stand.  Thompson admitted to LDWF agents that he had prior felony convictions and knew he could not possess a firearm.

Further investigation confirmed that Thompson had seven felony convictions in California.  The felony convictions include: two convictions for grand theft, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, second degree burglary of a vehicle, possession with intent to sell a controlled substance with a gang affiliation enhancement, transportation of a controlled substance, and possession for sale of cocaine base.  Thompson also had a prior felony conviction in Sabine Parish for simple burglary.

Thompson faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and forfeiture of the firearm and ammunition.  A sentencing date of Jan. 30, 2015 was set.

The ATF and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. is prosecuting the case.

For more information, contact Adam Einck at 225-765-2465 or aeinck@wlf.la.gov.