SIZE AND TAKE LIMITS - GENERAL

Cobia (ling or lemon fish): 33 inches minimum fork length. Two fish per person. Licensed commercial fishermen may only possess and sell two fish per trip.

Drum, Black: 16 inches minimum total length. There is an annual harvest quota of 3.25 million pounds for black drum measuring 16-27 inches total length, and an annual harvest of 300,000 fish measuring longer than 27 inches total length. Fishing year begins September 1.

Drum, Red: Commercial take of red drum is prohibited.

Flounder, Southern: Ten fish for each licensed fisherman for each consecutive day on the water EXCEPT any commercial shrimping vessels may retain and any commercial fisherman may sell all Southern flounder caught as bycatch on any shrimping trip.

Mackerel, King: 24 inches minimum fork length. There is a 3,000 pound trip limit in effect. Fishing year begins July 1. (Federal permit is required when fishing in federal waters.)

Mackerel, Spanish: 12 inches minimum fork length. (Federal permit is required when fishing in federal waters.)

Sheepshead: 10 inches minimum total length.

Menhaden:

Legal Gear: Purse Seine: Cannot be used to take finfish other than menhaden or herring like species. Use is otherwise prohibited in inside or outside waters as delineated in LA. R.S. 56:495.

Regular Menhaden Season: The season for the taking of menhaden as well as processing of menhaden shall be from the third Monday in April (April 17, 2006) through November 1. The menhaden season shall apply to all waters seaward of the inside-outside line described in R.S. 56:495 including waters in the Federal Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and in Chandeleur and Breton Sounds LAC 76:VII.307.D. All other inside waters and

passes are permanently closed to menhaden fishing.

Menhaden Bait Season: runs from after the close of the regular menhaden season until December 1. If the quota has not been reached by December 1, then, beginning on April 1 of the following year, bait gulf menhaden may be taken until LDWF determines that the quota (3,000 metric tons) has been met. Any menhaden taken pursuant to this special season shall be sold only for use as bait. The Secretary shall grant special permits for the taking of menhaden during the special bait season.

Anyone legally harvesting menhaden cannot possess more than 5 percent, by weight, or any species other than menhaden and herring-like species.

Mullet, Striped:

Mullet Permit: The commercial fisherman (captain) is required to qualify and purchase a mullet permit to commercially harvest mullet. Mullet permit required in addition to other licenses, qualifications exist.

Qualifying criteria for Mullet Permit are:
1) applicant must have possessed a valid saltwater gill net license during two of the years 1993, 1994 or 1995.
2) applicant must provide positive proof, in the form of state and federal income tax returns, including Schedule C of the federal 1040 form, submitted in accordance with procedures established by the commission, that the applicant has derived more than 50 percent of his income earned from the capture and sale of seafood species in at least two of the three years, 1993, 1994, or 1995.

Legal Gear: Mullet Strike Net: Mullet may only be taken commercially with a mullet strike net not exceeding 1,200 feet in length. One and three-fourths inches square or three and one-half inches stretched mesh (minimum). No mullet strike net in use can exceed 1,200 feet in length or be unattended by the licensee thereof. Mullet strike nets may only be used in state waters for the legal taking of striped mullet with a special mullet permit during the commercial season.

Commercial season: from the third Monday in October (October 17, 2005 and October 16, 2006) until the third Monday in January (Jan. 16, 2006, and Jan. 15, 2007). No commercial harvest of mullet is allowed outside this season. Mullet strike nets may be used Monday through Friday from sunrise to sunset. Only one mullet strike net may be in use from any vessel at any time. A commercial fisherman must have in possession a valid LDWF mullet permit in his name for legal harvest and sale. Mullet strike nets must be tagged with LDWF issued tag. No other fish may be possessed when mullet fishing.

Pompano, Florida:

Pompano Permit: Acommercial fisherman is required to obtain a pompano permit to commercially harvest and sell pompano using a pompano strike net in Breton and Chandeleur sounds during the pompano season.

Legal Gear: Pompano Strike Net: In addition to other legal gears, Florida pompano can be harvested with pompano strike nets in seasons and areas described below. Two and one-half inches square or five inches stretched mesh (minimum). No pompano strike net in use shall exceed 2,400 feet in length or be unattended by the licensee thereof. Pompano strike nets may only be used for the legal taking of pompano in the waters in excess of seven feet in depth and beyond 2,500 feet from land within the Chandeleur and Breton Sound areas described in R.S. 56:406(A)(2). Pompano strike nets may be used from August 1 through October 31 of each year.

Reef Fish:

To commercially harvest or sell certain reef fish species listed below (triggerfishes, amberjacks, wrasses, snappers, groupers and tilefishes) whether taken within or outside the territorial waters of Louisiana, fishermen must possess a permit issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service for the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Resources. (Contact: National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office, Koger Building, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33702, 727-824-5326).

Amberjack, Greater: 36 inches minimum fork length. Closed season March 1-May 31 each year.

Amberjack, Lesser: 14 inches minimum fork length and 22 inches maximum fork length.

Rudderfish, Banded: 14 inches minimum fork length and 22 inches maximum fork length.

Seabass, Black: 8 inches minimum total length.

Triggerfish, Grey: 12 inches minimum total length.

Grouper:

Goliath (formerly called Jewfish): Take or possession of jewfish within or without the waters of Louisiana is prohibited.

Nassau Grouper: Take or possession of Nassau grouper within or without the waters of Louisiana is prohibited.

Shallow-Water Grouper:

Black: 24 inches minimum total length. Commercial season closed from Feb. 15 to Mar. 15 each year.

Gag: 24 inches minimum total length. Commercial season closed from Feb. 15 to Mar. 15 each year.

Red: 20 inches minimum total length. Commercial season closed from Feb. 15 to Mar. 15 each year.

Scamp: 16 inches minimum total length.

Yellowfin: 20 inches minimum total length.

Deep-Water Grouper:

Misty, Snowy, Yellowedge, Warsaw Groupers, and Speckled Hind: no minimum lengths.

Snapper:

Lane: 8 inches minimum total length.

Mutton: 16 inches minimum total length.

Vermilion (beeliner): 10 inches minimum total length.

Yellowtail: 12 inches minimum total length.

Schoolmaster: 12 inches minimum total length.

Cubera: 12 inches minimum total length.

Mahogany: 12 inches minimum total length.

Dog: 12 inches minimum total length.

Gray (mangrove): 12 inches minimum total length.

Hogfish: 12 inches minimum fork length.

*Red: 15 inches minimum total length.

Queen Snapper, Blackfin Snapper, Silk Snapper, Wenchman, Almaco Jack, Goldface Tilefish, Tilefish, Blackline Tilefish, Anchor Tilefish, Blueline Tilefish, Dwarf Sandperch, and Sandperch: no minimum limits.

* Those persons possessing a Class 2 Red Snapper License issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service under the Federal Fishery Management Plan for the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish resources are limited to a daily take and possession limit of 200 pounds per vessel of red snapper during the open commercial season. Those persons possessing a Class 1 Red Snapper License are limitted to a daily take and possession limit of 2,000 pounds per vessel during the open season. Persons not possessing a red snapper license are limited to the recreational creel limit when the recreational season is open, and their catch cannot be sold.

Seatrout, Spotted (Speckled Trout):

Permit: In addition to other commercial fishing licenses a qualified commercial fisherman must have in possession a valid Spotted Seatrout permit to commercially harvest and sell spotted Seatrout. (See License section for qualifying criteria.)

Spotted Seatrout Permit: The commercial fisherman (captain) is required to qualify and purchase a spotted seatrout permit to commercially harvest and sell spotted seatrout. A saltwater guide may not possess a spotted seatrout permit.

Qualifying criteria for Spotted Seatrout Permit are:

1) applicant must have possessed a valid saltwater gill net license during two of the years 1993, 1994 or 1995.

2) applicant must provide positive proof, in the form of state and federal income tax returns, including Schedule C of the federal 1040 form, submitted in accordance with procedures established by the commission, that the applicant has derived more than 50 percent of his income earned from the capture and sale of seafood species in at least two of the three years, 1993, 1994 or 1995.

Legal Gear: Spotted seatrout may be taken only by properly licensed and permitted commercial rod-and-reel fishermen. No commercial gear other than commercial rod-and-reel may be used or in possession to take spotted seatrout. All persons on board a vessel commercially fishing for spotted seatrout shall be validly licensed commercial fishermen. Only the spotted trout permit holder may sell spotted seatrout.

Size: 14 inches total minimum total length, with an annual harvest quota of one million pounds.

Seasons/Times: Commercial fishing begins on the second day of January until the last day of July or until the quota is reached, whichever comes first. Spotted seatrout may not be taken commercially during the period from official sunset on Friday through official sunrise on Monday, and there shall be no possession of spotted seatrout in excess of the recreational limit during the period between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. However, a person holding a permit for the commercial taking or possession of spotted seatrout may take or possess an amount not to exceed the legal recreational limit of spotted seatrout between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. during the open season and at any time during the closed season if that person also possesses a basic recreational fishing license and a saltwater fishing license. It is illegal to possess spotted seatrout on a vessel where there is a gill net, strike net, hoop net, trammel net or seine or other commercial gear. No person shall qualify for a charter boat fishing guide license and a spotted seatrout permit during the same licensure period.

Sharks, Tuna, Swordfish (Highly Migratory Species):

Tuna, swordfish and sharks possessed by a commercial fisherman shall not be skinned or scaled until set or put on shore or when sold. Those species of tuna which have minimum size restrictions may have the head removed as long as the carcass length without the head exceeds the minimum size requirement.

Shark Permit: A commercial fisherman is required to acquire a shark permit to commercially harvest shark.

Shark: Persons commercially fishing for shark are required to obtain a shark permit from LDWF. In addition to other commercial licenses and state shark permits, persons commercially fishing for sharks in federal waters are required to have a federal shark permit. NOTE: There is a 4,000 pound trip limit for large coastal sharks, which

are the following: great hammerhead, scalloped hammerhead, smooth hammerhead, nurse shark, blacktip shark, bull shark, lemon shark, sandbar shark, silky shark, spinner shark, tiger shark. The act of ?finning? and possession of fins in excess of 5 percent of the weight of shark carcasses are prohibited. All mako sharks aboard a vessel shall have fins intact. No person aboard any vessel shall transfer or cause the transfer of sharks between

vessels on state or federal waters. All Louisiana state waters out to the seaward boundary of the Louisiana Territorial Sea shall be closed to the commercial harvest of all sharks between April 1 and June 30 of each year. The fishing year for shark shall begin on January 1.

Prohibited Shark Species: No person shall take, possess, purchase, sell, barter or exchange or attempt to possess, purchase, sell, barter, or exchange any of the following species or parts thereof:

Atlantic angel shark Caribbean sharpnose shark sand tiger shark

basking shark dusky shark sevengill shark

bigeye sand tiger shark Galapagos shark sixgill shark

bigeye sixgill shark largetooth sawfish smalltail shark

bigeye thresher shark longfin mako smalltooth sawfish

bignose shark narrowtooth shark whale shark

Caribbean reef shark night shark white shark

Swordfish: 29 inches carcass length or 33 pounds dressed weight. To commercially harvest, possess or sell swordfish, whether within or outside Louisiana state territorial waters, fishers must possess a valid Federal Commercial Swordfish Permit aboard the vessel. No person aboard any vessel shall transfer or cause the transfer of swordfish between vessel on state or federal waters.

Tuna: In addition to state required commercial fishing licenses, to commercially harvest, possess or sell Atlantic bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, skipjack tuna, and albacore, whether within or outside Louisiana state territorial waters, fishers must possess a valid Federal Commercial Tuna Permit (1-888-USA-TUNA).