The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries strongly urges private recreational anglers and for-hire captains with reef fish permits to attend a public meeting hosted by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council on Monday, August 18 in Baton Rouge at 6 p.m. to collect input on Reef Fish Amendment 40 regarding sector separation.
 
Amendment 40 examines various options of dividing the recreational red snapper quota into a private angling sector and federal for-hire sector.   Current recreational management measures such as season length, daily bag limits, and size limits are typically applied to the recreational sector as a whole, without making a distinction between the private and for-hire components.
 
LDWF strongly urges private recreational anglers and for-hire captains with reef fish permits to attend this meeting and voice their opinions.  This is the best opportunity for you to make suggestions or raise concerns before the Council begins developing an amendment.
 
All input will be presented to the Council during its August meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi.
 
The Louisiana meeting is scheduled as follows:
 
Monday, August 18, 2014, 6 p.m.
Hyatt Place Baton Rouge
6080 Bluebonnet Boulevard
Baton Rouge, LA
 
If you cannot attend the public hearing, we encourage our anglers to complete the online survey LDWF issued to our Recreational Offshore Landing Permit holders via email on July 30th regarding sector separation.
 
The Louisiana 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, on Instagram @WLFLA, or on Twitter @LDWF.
 
For press inquiries, contact Ashley Wethey at awethey@wlf.la.gov or (504) 286-8733.