The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission set the 2024-2025 oyster season based on the annual oyster stock assessment provided by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries biologists and comments received from members of the public, including the oyster industry.
The following dates were set for the upcoming oyster season:
- Vermilion/East and West Cote Blanche Bay/Atchafalaya Bay Public Oyster Seed Grounds shall open at one-half hour before sunrise on Monday, September 23, 2024, and shall close at one-half hour after sunset on Friday, May 30, 2025, although the harvest of market oysters for direct sale shall not commence before Monday, October 14, 2024.
- Hackberry Bay, Little Lake, Lake Mechant, Bay Junop, and that portion of the Public Oyster Seed Grounds East of the Mississippi River within the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) Shellfish Harvest Areas 1 and 2 shall open for seed bedding purposes only at one half-hour before sunrise on Monday, September 23, 2024, and shall close at one half-hour after sunset on Wednesday, September 25, 2024.
- The Calcasieu Lake Public Oyster Area shall open solely for sacking of market-size oysters: the West Cove shall open at one-half hour before sunrise on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, and East Cove shall open at one-half hour before sunrise on Wednesday, January 1, 2025.
- Lake Mechant and Bay Junop shall open for sacking of market oysters for direct sale at one-half hour before sunrise on Monday, October 21, 2024, and shall close to the harvest of market oysters at one-half hour after sunset on Friday, October 25, 2024.
- The Public Oyster Seed Grounds and Reservations east of the Mississippi River, including LDH Shellfish Harvest Areas 1, 2, 3, and 4, and Hackberry Bay will open for sacking of market-size oysters only at one half-hour before sunrise on Friday, November 1, 2024.
- Unless otherwise stated above, all public oyster areas shall close, as per Louisiana law, on April 30, 2025.
During the 2024-25 oyster season, the following provisions will be in effect:
- Except for the Vermilion/East and West Cote Blanche/Atchafalaya Bay Public Oyster Seed Grounds, any vessel from which any person(s) takes or attempts to take oysters from the public oyster seed grounds and reservations described above shall be limited to a daily limit of sacks of oysters per vessel. The daily limit shall not exceed 30 sacks of oysters per vessel and the possession limit shall be twice the daily limit for the Public Oyster Seed Grounds east of the Mississippi River, and the Hackberry Bay Public Oyster Seed Reservation. The daily and possession limits for the Bay Junop Public Oyster Seed Reservation and the Lake Mechant Public Oyster Seed Grounds shall not exceed 30 sacks of oysters per vessel per day. The daily and possession limits for Calcasieu Lake shall not exceed 15 sacks of oysters per vessel per day in aggregate between West Cove and the east side of the lake, with no more than 10 sacks per day allowed from the east side of the lake. A sack of oysters for the purposes of this Declaration of Emergency shall be defined as the size described in R.S. 56:440. If sacks smaller than the size described in R.S. 56:440 are used, the daily harvest and possession limits shall be based on the number of sacks used, not the size of the sack or other measures. The daily take and possession limit shall not apply to vessels harvesting seed oysters for bedding purposes, at such times and in such public oyster areas where the harvest of seed oysters is allowed. The possession limit shall not apply to vessels operating under a valid Oyster Cargo Vessel Permit, and these properly-permitted vessels shall not harvest oysters while operating under the cargo permit.
- All vessels harvesting seed oysters from the open public oyster areas shall not have sacks or other containers typically used to hold oysters on board the harvest vessel.
- 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 on the same day.
- If any person on a vessel takes or attempts to take oysters from the public oyster areas, seed grounds or reservations 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 Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) personnel.
- All oysters harvested from public areas, seed grounds or reservations for the purpose of market sale shall be uncontaminated, sealed and not gaping as described in R.S. 56:433.
- All oysters harvested from public areas, seed grounds or reservations for the purpose of direct sale shall measure a minimum of 3 inches from hinge to bill as described in R.S. 56:433.
- Prior to leaving public oyster areas, seed grounds or reservations with oysters harvested from said areas, all oysters must be sacked, the number of sacks shall be recorded in a log book, and each sack shall be properly tagged, with the exception of bedding vessels harvesting seed oysters.
- All vessels located in public oyster areas, seed grounds or reservations during those times between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before sunrise, shall have all oyster scrapers unshackled.
- In Calcasieu Lake, oyster scrapers are prohibited. Oyster harvesting shall be limited to oyster tongs or by hand. Oyster tongs shall be made as a grasping device consisting of two pieces joined by a pivot or hinged like scissors used for picking up objects.
- Every vessel harvesting oysters from the Public Oyster Areas shall report harvest information to the LDWF no later than 9 p.m. each day fished. Vessels shall provide the following information: Captain’s name, oyster harvester number, vessel number, the total number of sacks harvested that day, total barrels of seed removed, and the LDH Harvest area fished. Electronic Reporting shall be required and shall be through the e-Reporting application via smart phone. The eReporting app is supported by both iOS and Android. Fishermen will need to download the app from these links at the Apple Store or Google Play Store then create an account using an email. The registration page requires name, commercial fishing license number and type of license to register. Once the account is created, the fisherman will add their vessels. Follow this link for more information on the eReporting app and how to use it https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/oyster-e-reporting. This reporting does not substitute for trip ticket reporting.
The following areas shall remain closed for the entire 2024-25 oyster season:
1. Sister Lake and Bay Gardene Public Oyster Seed Reservations, as described in R.S. 56:434.
2. That portion of the Public Oyster Seed Grounds east of the Mississippi River, as described in LAC 76:VII.511, within the Department of Health Shellfish Harvest Areas 5, 6, 7.
3. The 2023 Drum Bay spat-on-shell broodstock reef with the following coordinates:
29 degrees 52 minutes 50.471 seconds, -89 degrees 16 minutes 38.502 seconds
29 degrees 52 minutes 54.871 seconds, -89 degrees 16 minutes 25.121 seconds
29 degrees 52 minutes 49.018 seconds, -89 degrees 16 minutes 21.173 seconds
29 degrees 52 minutes 44.382 seconds, -89 degrees 16 minutes 34.559 seconds
4. The Lake Tambour, Lake Chien, Lake Felicity, and Deep Lake Public Oyster Seed Grounds as described in LAC 76:VII.517.
5. The 2023 Calcasieu Lake Cultch Plant with the following coordinates:
29 degrees 50 minutes 31.761 seconds, -93 degrees 18 minutes 42.243 seconds
29 degrees 50 minutes 20.951 seconds, -93 degrees 18 minutes 44.229 seconds
29 degrees 50 minutes 29.153 seconds, -93 degrees 18 minutes 21.044 seconds
29 degrees 50 minutes 18.585 seconds, -93 degrees 18 minutes 21.352 seconds
6. The 2024 Morgan Harbor Cultch Plant with the following coordinates:
29 degrees 49 minutes 00.15 seconds, -89 degrees 18 minutes 30.37 seconds
29 degrees 48 minutes 42.57 seconds, -89 degrees 18 minutes 13.44 seconds
29 degrees 49 minutes 34.91 seconds, -89 degrees 17 minutes 44.92 seconds
29 degrees 49 minutes 21.64 seconds, -89 degrees 17 minutes 25.17 seconds
7. Oyster harvest on the Sabine Lake Public Oyster Area is prohibited as described in R.S. 56:435.1.
8. Oyster harvest is prohibited on artificial reef sites, as described in LAC 76:VII.537.
9. The Barataria Bay Public Oyster Seed Grounds, as described in LAC 76:VII.517.
The Secretary of the Department was authorized by the Commission to set closure dates and adjust sack limits and/or sacking-only areas based on biological harvest data or if enforcement issues are encountered. The Secretary is also authorized to take emergency action to close, or reopen areas previously closed if the threat to the resource has ended and to open public areas if substantial oyster resources are located.
Public notice of any opening, delay or closing 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 concerns. Remember to check LDH closure lines before harvesting. Current closure lines can be found here: https://ldh.la.gov/page/molluscan-shellfish-program.
For 2024-2025 oyster season maps, click here.
For more information, contact Robert Caballero at rcaballero@wlf.la.gov or 504-286-4054.