Today, Governor Jeff Landry and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Secretary Madison Sheahan sent a letter to Martha Williams, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), requesting the expansion of harvest opportunities for black-bellied whistling ducks (BBWD) for the sportsmen of Louisiana.
“As the presence of black-bellied whistling ducks continues to grow in Louisiana, so too should the harvest opportunities. Producers in southwest Louisiana have had to endure agricultural and economic losses due to this increase, and we cannot allow this to continue. Our state and LDWF are committed to finding a solution that benefits all— sportsmen, industry, and our economy,” said Governor Jeff Landry.
A copy of the letter may be viewed here.
The letter recommends establishing harvest opportunities during the early September teal season. Since BBWDs are a tropical species, LDWF believes an early season would provide the best management opportunity. The increase of BBWDs throughout Louisiana poses a variety of agricultural, nuisance, health, and management challenges that additional harvest opportunities could resolve.
“A key function of our Department is to manage our natural resources and to serve the Sportsmen’s Paradise,” said LDWF Secretary Madison Sheahan. “Our request is to simply improve the management of BBWDs by increasing opportunity to harvest BBWDs to benefit our hunters, our communities, and the economy.”
The populations of BBWDs have grown exponentially in the last two decades throughout the southeast US. Not only are their populations expanding into residential and metropolitan areas, but they are also creating agricultural losses for rice farmers in southwest Louisiana.
In their letter, Secretary Sheahan and Governor Landry express their desire to work collaboratively with the USFWS to develop a scientific strategy that will mutually benefit residents, industry, the economy, and sportsmen of Louisiana.