COMMISSION SETS 2009-10 LOUISIANA OYSTER SEASONS

Release Date: 08/06/2009

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission set the opening and closing dates for the 2009-10 oyster season on the public oyster areas at their Aug. 6, 2009 meeting. 

2009 Black Bay Cultch Plant Map	2009 MS Sound (3-Mile) Cultch Plant Map	Calcasieu Lake Cultch Plant

Lake Fortuna Closure Area	Sister Lake Cultch Plant 2009 - SURVEYED

The 2009-10 oyster season in the primary public oyster seed grounds east of the Mississippi River, including the Bay Gardene Public Oyster Seed Reservation, shall open one-half hour before sunrise on Sept. 9, 2009 for the harvest of seed oysters for bedding purposes only and will remain open until one-half hour after sunset on Sept. 23, 2009, except for the Lake Machias/Fortuna Sacking-Only Area of the public grounds which is generally Lake Fortuna and Lake Machias to a line from Mozambique Point to Point Gardner to Grace Point at the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, the Sacking-Only Area in the American Bay area shall be that portion of the public grounds within Bay Long west of a line running generally north/south from a point at 29 degrees 31 minutes 13.78 seconds N latitude, 89 degrees 34 minutes 9.79 seconds W longitude to a point at 29 degrees 29 minutes 40.67 seconds N latitude, 89 degrees 34 minutes and 8.48 seconds W longitude, and the 2009 cultch plant areas in Black Bay and Three-Mile Bay within the following coordinates, which shall remain closed:

2009 Cultch Plant in Black Bay - Plaquemines Parish
1. 29 degrees 36 minutes 55.598 seconds N latitude
 89 degrees 32 minutes 30.482 seconds W longitude

2. 29 degrees 36 minutes 25.239 seconds N latitude
 89 degrees 32 minutes 12.858 seconds W longitude

3. 29 degrees 36 minutes 14.674 seconds N latitude
 89 degrees 32 minutes 47.070 seconds W longitude

4. 29 degrees 36 minutes 45.476 seconds N latitude
 89 degrees 33 minutes 02.681 seconds W longitude

2009 Cultch Plant in Three-Mile Bay - St. Bernard Parish
1. 30 degrees 01 minutes 15.884 seconds N latitude
 89 degrees 21 minutes 19.511 seconds W longitude

2. 30 degrees 01 minutes 34.630 seconds N latitude
 89 degrees 20 minutes 58.811 seconds W longitude

3. 30 degrees 01 minutes 11.418 seconds N latitude
 89 degrees 21 minutes 12.304 seconds W longitude

4. 30 degrees 01 minutes 29.772 seconds N latitude
 89 degrees 20 minutes 52.475 seconds W longitude

The primary public oyster seed grounds east of the Mississippi River, including the Bay Gardene Public Oyster Seed Reservation, the Lake Machais/Fortuna Sacking-Only Area, and the Sacking-Only Area in the American Bay area as described above, shall then open at one-half hour before sunrise on Oct. 28, 2009 for the taking of both seed and market-size oysters and shall close one half-hour after sunset on April 1, 2010, except for the following areas, which shall remain closed:

1. 2009 Cultch Plant in Black Bay as described above

2. 2009 Cultch Plant in Three-Mile Bay as described above

3. Southwest portion of Lake Fortuna which shall be that portion of the Lake Machias/Fortuna sacking-only area south of 29 degrees 40 minutes 00.00 seconds N latitude and west of 89 degrees 30 minutes 00.00 seconds W longitude.

The oyster season in the Hackberry Bay Public Oyster Seed Reservation shall open at one-half hour before sunrise on Oct. 28, 2009 and shall close at one-half hour after sunset on Nov. 4, 2009, except for the 2008 cultch plant within the following coordinates which shall open at one-half hour before sunrise on Oct. 28, 2009 and shall close at one-half hour after sunset on Oct. 31, 2009:

2008 Cultch Plant in Hackberry Bay - Jefferson/Lafourche Parish
1. 29 degrees 25 minutes 28.80 seconds N latitude
 90 degrees 01 minutes 17.11 seconds W longitude

2. 29 degrees 25 minutes 37.79 seconds N latitude
 90 degrees 00 minutes 55.39 seconds W longitude

3. 29 degrees 25 minutes 28.61 seconds N latitude
 90 degrees 00 minutes 50.44 seconds W longitude

4. 29 degrees 25 minutes 19.63 seconds N latitude
 90 degrees 01 minutes 12.17 seconds W longitude

The Little Lake Public Oyster Seed Grounds shall open one-half hour before sunrise on Sept. 9, 2009 for the harvest of seed oysters for bedding purposes only until one-half hour after sunset on Sept. 23, 2009.  This area shall then re-open at one-half hour before sunrise on Oct. 28, 2009 for the taking of both seed and market-size oysters and shall close one half-hour after sunset on April 1, 2010.

The oyster season in the Barataria Bay Public Oyster Seed Grounds shall open one-half hour before sunrise on Sept. 9, 2009 for the harvest of seed oysters for bedding purposes only until one-half hour after sunset on Sept. 30, 2009.

The oyster season in the Sister Lake Public Oyster Seed Reservation shall open one-half hour before sunrise on Oct. 28, 2009 and shall close one-half hour after sunset on Nov. 13, 2009, except for the 2009 cultch plant located within the following coordinates which shall remain closed:

2009 Cultch Plant in Sister Lake - Terrebonne Parish
1. 29 degrees 14 minutes 50.179 seconds N latitude
 90 degrees 55 minutes 01.367 seconds W longitude

2. 29 degrees 14 minutes 59.743 seconds N latitude
 90 degrees 54 minutes 27.704 seconds W longitude

3. 29 degrees 14 minutes 39.398 seconds N latitude
 90 degrees 54 minutes 17.987 seconds W longitude
 
4. 29 degrees 14 minutes 30.384 seconds N latitude
 90 degrees 54 minutes 50.702 seconds W longitude

During the oyster season in Sister Lake, the following provisions will be in effect:
1. The daily take and possession limit shall be no more than 50 sacks of oysters per vessel, although this limit does not apply to those vessels harvesting seed oysters for bedding purposes.  The possession limit shall not apply to those vessels operating under a valid Oyster Cargo Vessel Permit.
2. Vessels are prohibited from harvesting oysters for market (sacking) and harvesting oysters for bedding purposes on the same day.
3. If a vessel is harvesting on the public oyster seed reservation, all oysters on board that vessel are deemed to have been taken from the reservation.
4. All oysters harvested for market (sacking) must be contained within properly tagged sacks prior to leaving the reservation.

The Vermilion/East and West Cote Blanche/Atchafalaya Bay Public Oyster Seed Grounds shall open one-half hour before sunrise on Sept. 9, 2009 for the harvest of seed oysters for bedding purposes only until one-half hour after sunset on Oct. 11, 2009.  These areas shall then re-open at one-half hour before sunrise on Oct. 12, 2009 for the taking of both seed and market-size oysters and shall close one half-hour after sunset on April 30, 2010.

The oyster season in the Calcasieu Lake public oyster area shall open one-half hour before sunrise on Oct. 15, 2009 and shall close one half-hour after sunset on April 30, 2010, with the exception of the 2009 cultch plant within the following coordinates which shall remain closed:

2009 Cultch Plant in Calcasieu Lake - Cameron Parish
1. 29 degrees 50 minutes 36.930 seconds N latitude
 93 degrees 19 minutes 14.977 seconds W longitude

2. 29 degrees 50 minutes 33.787 seconds N latitude
 93 degrees 19 minutes 14.102 seconds W longitude

3. 29 degrees 50 minutes 34.266 seconds N latitude
 93 degrees 19 minutes 12.365 seconds W longitude

4. 29 degrees 50 minutes 31.840 seconds N latitude
 93 degrees 19 minutes 11.817 seconds W longitude

5. 29 degrees 50 minutes 32.893 seconds N latitude
 93 degrees 19 minutes 06.405 seconds W longitude

6. 29 degrees 50 minutes 34.263 seconds N latitude
 93 degrees 19 minutes 01.273 seconds W longitude

7. 29 degrees 50 minutes 39.274 seconds N latitude
 93 degrees 19 minutes 02.220 seconds W longitude

8. 29 degrees 50 minutes 39.047 seconds N latitude
 93 degrees 19 minutes 07.548 seconds W longitude

The sack limit for Calcasieu Lake is set at 15 sacks per day as provided for in R.S. 56:435.1.1. However, these conservation actions shall not supercede public health closures.

The following areas shall remain closed for the entire 2009-10 oyster season:
1. The southwest portion of the Lake Machias/Fortuna Sacking-Only Area described above;
2. The 2009 cultch plants as described above in Three-Mile Bay, Black Bay, Sister Lake and Calcasieu Lake;
3. Deep Lake Public Oyster Seed Grounds
4. Lake Tambour Public Oyster Seed Grounds
5. Lake Chien Public Oyster Seed Grounds
6. Lake Felicity Public Oyster Seed Grounds
7. Lake Mechant Public Oyster Seed Grounds
8. Bay Junop Public Oyster Seed Reservation
9. Sabine Lake Public Oyster Area

The commission authorized Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Robert Barham to take emergency action to close areas if oyster mortalities are occurring or to delay the season or close areas where significant spat catch has occurred with good probability of survival, or where there are found excessive amounts of non-living reef material in seed oyster loads, or if oyster resources and/or reefs are being adversely impacted or if enforcement problems are encountered. 

The LDWF Secretary was also authorized to take emergency action to reopen areas previously closed if the threat to the resource has ended and to open areas if substantial oyster resources are located.

Public notice of any opening, delay or closure 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 and Hospitals for public health concerns.

For more information, contact Patrick Banks at 225-765-2370 or pbanks@wlf.la.gov.
2009-233