Today, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission considered a Notice of Intent (NOI) to modify rules and regulations for the harvest of reef fish in Louisiana waters in order to establish consistency with federal regulations, providing a simplified regulatory framework for anglers.
Recreational Bag Limit Changes:
- Reduction from 2 to no more than 1 gray triggerfish per person within the 20 fish aggregate limit. (Aggregate includes Vermilion snapper, lane snapper, gray triggerfish, almaco jack, goldface tilefish, and blueline tilefish).
- Reduction from 4 to no more than 2 red grouper per person within the 4 grouper aggregate limit. (Aggregate includes speckled hind, black grouper, red grouper, snowy grouper, yellowedge grouper, yellowfin grouper, yellowmouth grouper, warsaw grouper, gag grouper, and scamp).
- Reduction from 10 to no more than 5 mutton snapper per person within the 10 fish aggregate limit. (Aggregate includes queen, mutton, blackfin, cubera, gray, silk, yellowtail, snappers, and wenchman).
Commercial Trip Limit Changes:
- Increase in commercial trip limit of gray triggerfish from 12 to 16 fish per trip.
Recreational Size Limit Changes:
- Increase in size limit of hogfish from 12 to 14 inches fork length.
- Increase in size limit of gray triggerfish from 14 to 15 inches fork length.
- Increase in size limit of mutton snapper from 16 to 18 inches total length.
Commercial Size Limit Changes:
- Increase in size limit of gray triggerfish from 14 to 15 inches fork length.
- Increase in the size limit of mutton snapper from 16 to 18 inches total length.
- Increase in size limit of gag grouper from 22 to 24 inches total length.
Recreational Season Changes:
- The greater amberjack season will close from January 1 through April 30 and from November 1 through December 31 of each year in addition to the regularly scheduled June 1 through July 31 closure.
- The gray triggerfish season will close from January 1 through the end of February each year in addition to the regularly scheduled June 1 through July 31 closure.
The full notice of intent is available here.
Interested persons may submit comments relative to the proposed rule to Jason Adriance via email to jadriance@wlf.la.gov prior to June 7, 2018.