Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents arrested a Theriot man and cited two Dulac men for alleged oyster fishing violations in Terrebonne Parish on Feb. 20.

Agents arrested Abelardo Carbajal, 60, for taking oysters from a polluted area, taking oysters during illegal hours and violating logbook requirements. Agents also cited Starlin Billiot Jr., 30, and Kerry Lodrigue Jr., 34, for taking oysters from a polluted area, taking oysters during illegal hours and violating logbook requirements.

Agents were on patrol around 6 a.m. in Four League Bay when they observed a vessel actively harvesting oysters before legal harvesting hours and in an unapproved oyster harvesting area. Agents made contact with the captain of the vessel, Carbajal, and his two deckhands, Billiot Jr. and Lodrigue Jr., and found them in possession of 50 sacks of oysters.

The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) declared this area polluted and prohibited oyster fishing in this area.

During the investigation, agents also learned the required oyster harvesting logbook was not properly filled out.

Agents seized the oysters and returned them to the water they were caught.  They also seized Carbajal’s vessel on a department seizure order, his oyster harvester’s license, two oyster scrapers and the vessel’s Global Positioning System.

Agents arrested Carbajal and booked him into the Terrebonne Parish Jail.

Because oysters are often eaten raw, they are subject to some of the strictest human health-related regulations of any food product in the nation. Certain bacteria from the growing waters can accumulate in oyster tissue, and LDH closely monitors water quality for elevated levels of harmful bacteria. If levels exceed standards for human health, LDH may close certain water bodies and restrict oyster harvest. Therefore, it is illegal to harvest oysters from closed or unapproved waters to prevent those oysters from entering the marketplace and possibly causing human illness. 

Taking oysters from an unapproved polluted area brings a $900 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail. Taking oysters during illegal hours carries a $400 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail. Violating logbook requirements brings a $25 fine and loss of the product.

The men could also face having their oyster harvester licenses revoked by LDWF for up to one year. The violators could also be sentenced to perform 40 hours of community service and only be allowed to harvest oysters from a vessel that is equipped with a vessel monitoring device for up to one year.