he Coastwide Nutria Control Program (CNCP) bounty will be raised to $6, up from $5, when the program season commences Nov. 20, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced. The increase is to make the take of nutria more lucrative for hunters and trappers enrolled in the program.
 
“Protection of our coast is of the upmost importance,’’ said LDWF Biologist Director Amity Bass. “The Coastwide Nutria Control Program plays an important part in keeping down the number of this invasive species that destroys our marshes.  We hope the increase in the bounty will incentivize hunters and trappers to go after more nutria.’’
 
The program was established in 2002 to combat nutria in coastal Louisiana. Its goal is to remove up to 400,000 nutria each season to reduce marsh damage. The program season runs each year from Nov. 20-March 31.
 
Participation in the program requires a trapping license, completion of the CNCP application and designation of property or properties to be harvested along with landowner information and signature.
 
Public properties are available and instructions for registering these properties is in the application packet. All registered properties must be within the program boundary area, which is all of coastal Louisiana, bounded on the north by Interstate 10 from the Texas state line to Baton Rouge, Interstate 12 from Baton Rouge to Slidell and Interstate 10 from Slidell to the Mississippi state line.