The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will reopen the oyster season in designated portions of the Public Oyster Seed Grounds for bedding purposes only. This additional opening will allow limited harvest of the resource prior to potential oyster mortality. Harvestable quantities of oyster resources exist in these public oyster seed grounds, and with the influx of freshwater from the Bonnet Carré Spillway, depression of salinity may result in significant oyster mortalities.
This season will reopen for bedding purposes in the Public Oyster Seed Grounds in Lake Borgne (St. Bernard Parish) and Mississippi Sound (St. Bernard Parish), within areas designated by the Louisiana Department of Health Areas 1 and 2. This opening is for bedding purposes only and will begin at one half-hour before sunrise on Tuesday, March 19, 2019, and will close at one half-hour after sunset on Thursday, March 21, 2019.
The following areas will open:
- The Public Oyster Seed Grounds in Lake Borgne and Mississippi Sound within the areas of LDH Harvest Area 1 and 2;
- The following cultch plants shall remain closed for the special bedding season:
- Mississippi Sound (2011) – St. Bernard Parish
- 30 degrees 07 minutes 17.56 seconds N
- 89 degrees 27 minutes 52.39 seconds W
- 30 degrees 07 minutes 26.94 seconds N
- 89 degrees 27 minutes 36.20 seconds W
- 30 degrees 07 minutes 07.11 seconds N
- 89 degrees 26 minutes 45.48 seconds W
- 30 degrees 06 minutes 40.93 seconds N
- 89 degrees 27 minutes 14.09 seconds W
- 3 Mile Pass (2013)- St. Bernard Parish
- 30 degrees 03 minutes 56.09 seconds N
- 89 degrees 22 minutes 32.52 seconds W
- 30 degrees 03 minutes 56.70 seconds N
- 89 degrees 22 minutes 15.40 seconds W
- 30 degrees 03 minutes 18.00 seconds N
- 89 degrees 22 minutes 06.30 seconds W
- 30 degrees 03 minutes 30.49 seconds N
- 89 degrees 22 minutes 38.17 seconds W
- Mississippi Sound (2011) – St. Bernard Parish
The special bedding-only season described above will open with the following provisions:
- For the areas currently designated as “closed” by LDH, the following rules shall apply: The area is opening to allow for the permitted transplant or relay, of live oysters for bedding purposes only. Oysters may only be transplanted from the area within the public oyster seed grounds described above which are currently closed by the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH). All individuals found harvesting in this area must possess a valid LDH Oyster Transplant Permit.
- For the areas designated as “open” according to LDH: these areas are currently open for market size harvest, and no permit is needed.
The following provisions apply to all harvesters during the special bedding season:
- A vessel is limited to either harvesting market oysters for direct sale (sacking) or harvesting seed oysters for bedding purposes on any one day and is specifically prohibited from doing both
- If any person on a vessel takes or attempts to take oysters from the Public Oyster Seed Grounds described above, all oysters contained on that vessel shall be deemed to have been taken from said seed ground or reservation from the time harvest begins until all oysters are off-loaded dockside.
- The harvest of seed oysters from a Public Oyster Seed Ground or reservation shall be for the purpose of moving the live oyster resource. The removal of more than 15 percent of non-living reef material in bedding loads is prohibited. All vessels shall allow on-board inspection and sampling of seed oyster loads by LDWF biologists and/or agents.
- No oyster harvester who is actively harvesting oysters for bedding in the Public Oyster Seed Grounds described above shall have onboard his vessel any sacks or containers which may be used to hold oysters for transport to market. Harvesters shall be limited to either harvesting market oysters for direct sale (sacking) or harvesting seed oysters for bedding purposes on any one day and is specifically prohibited from doing both.
- No harvester shall sell, or transport with his vessel, oysters intended for market sales on the same day that he/she harvested seed oysters from the public seed grounds described above.
- Any individual actively harvesting oysters in the Public Oyster Seed Grounds designated as “closed” by LDH shall be properly permitted for such transplant by LDH in accordance with the state sanitary code.
To view a map of the current oyster closure areas see above.
The Commission authorized Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ Secretary Jack Montoucet to adjust oyster seasons on a limited basis in emergency situations.
Public notice of any opening, delay, or closure of a season will be provided at least 72 hours prior to such action unless such closure is ordered by the Louisiana Department of Health for public health concerns.
For more information, please contact Carolina Bourque at 337-735-8726 or via e-mail at cbourque@wlf.la.gov.
Applications for transplant permits may be obtained between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, please contact the Louisiana Department of Health, Molluscan Shellfish Program at 225-342-7653.