Today, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) announced the commercial season for king mackerel in Louisiana waters will close at 12 p.m. (noon) on Thursday, January 7, 2016.
The closure was made based on data gathered by LDWF biologists and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that the annual quota for king mackerel of 1.07 million pounds for the western zone of the Gulf of Mexico would soon be met. The commercial fishing season for king mackerel was previously closed in federal waters at noon on Tuesday, November 17.
Each year, a commercial quota is established for Gulf of Mexico group king mackerel by NMFS based on recommendations by the Gulf and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils. That figure is then divided into allocations for various zones and fisheries. According to the best information available, the 1.07 million pound commercial quota of king mackerel for the western zone of the Gulf of Mexico has been harvested, or is projected to soon be harvested.
The commercial king mackerel season in Louisiana waters has previously been closed on March 27, 2009 (08-09 season), September 12, 2009 (09-10 season), February 11, 2011 (10-11 season), September 16, 2011 (11-12 season), August 22, 2012 (12-13 season), September 20, 2013 (13-14 season), and October 31, 2014 (14-15 season).
While there are relatively few king mackerel harvested or targeted by Louisiana recreational anglers, a substantial commercial fishery exists, which typically lands 800 to 900 thousand pounds annually at Louisiana ports. A significant portion of the king mackerel landed in Louisiana ports is shipped to markets in the northeast United States.
For more information, contact Jason Adriance at 504.284.2032 or jadriance@wlf.la.gov.