COMMERCIAL FISHING FOR LARGE COASTAL SHARKS TO REMAIN CLOSED IN LOUISIANA WATERS

Release Date: 06/15/2009

Commercial fishing for large coastal sharks, as defined by Louisiana rule (L.A.C. 76:VII.357), will remain closed in Louisiana waters. 

A seasonal closure for all shark fisheries in Louisiana waters is currently in effect, and these fisheries were scheduled to re-open on July 1.  However, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has closed the commercial fishery for large coastal sharks in the federal waters off of Louisiana and requested that Louisiana enact compatible regulations. 

Therefore, LDWF Secretary Robert Barham has issued a Declaration of Emergency to continue the seasonal closure of the commercial large coastal shark fishery until the re-opening of that fishery in federal waters off of Louisiana.

During the announced closed season, all commercial harvest, possession, purchase, exchange, barter, trade, sale or attempts to purchase, exchange, barter, trade or sell of large coastal sharks are prohibited except for a Federal Shark Research Permit holder when legally operating under the rules of that permit.

The fishery in federal waters for harvesters possessing a Federal Shark Research Permit remains open.  Therefore, this closure will not affect persons holding a Federal Shark Research Permit issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service when those persons are legally fishing under the regulations promulgated for that permit including that a NMFS approved observer is aboard the vessel. 

Other shark seasons that are currently closed will re-open in Louisiana waters on July 1, including the recreational season, and the commercial seasons for the pelagic and small coastal shark species groups.

The large coastal shark group is composed of the great hammerhead, scalloped hammerhead, smooth hammerhead, nurse shark, blacktip shark, bull shark, lemon shark, sandbar shark, silky shark, spinner shark and tiger shark.  However, persons recreationally fishing for shark may not take any sandbar or silky shark.

There is no allowable harvest at any time for all prohibited species, which include basking shark, white shark, bigeye sand tiger, sand tiger, whale shark, smalltooth sawfish, largetooth sawfish, Atlantic angel shark, Caribbean sharpnose shark, smalltail shark, bignose shark, Caribbean reef shark, dusky shark, Galapagos shark, narrowtooth shark, night shark, bigeye sixgill shark, bigeye thresher shark, longfin mako, sevengill shark and sixgill shark.

LDWF Secretary Robert Barham made the decision under the authority given by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission in its rule LAC 76:VII.357.M.2, which allows the secretary to declare a closed season.

For more information, contact Harry Blanchet at 225-765-2889 or hblanchet@wlf.la.gov.
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