The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced the shrimp season in the portion of state outside waters extending a distance of three nautical miles, seaward of the Inside/Outside Shrimp Line, from the northwest shore of Caillou Boca at -90 degrees 50 minutes 27 seconds west longitude westward to the eastern shore of the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel at Eugene Island as delineated by the channel red buoy line, will reopen to shrimping at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, April 29. This area lies seaward of Terrebonne parish.
According to the most recent trawl samples taken by LDWF biologists, small white shrimp which previously occupied these waters since December have reached marketable sizes and the closure is no longer necessary.
Because significant numbers of juvenile white shrimp remain in state outside waters seaward a distance of three nautical miles westward from the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel to the western shore of Freshwater Bayou Canal, these waters will remain closed until further notice. Except for these waters, all remaining state outside waters will be open to shrimping.
The opening dates for the 2014 spring inshore shrimp season will be considered by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission at the May 1, meeting.