NEWSROOM
Derelict
Crab Trap Removal Project Planned for Vermillion Bay and West
Cote Blanche Bay
April 13, 2005
A crab trap closure
and associated abandoned crab trap removal project will take place
this spring in a portion of Vermilion Bay and West Cote Blanche
Bay and surrounding marshes.
The prohibition on
the use of crab traps will commence at 6 a.m. on the opening date
of the spring inshore shrimp season in Vermilion Bay and West
Cote Blanche Bay and end nine days later at 6 a.m. The opening
dates of the spring inshore shrimp season will be fixed by the
Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) at their May
5, 2005 meeting.
The closure area originates
from a point at the intersection of the Acadiana Navigational
Channel and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, thence southwest along
the Acadiana Navigational Channel red buoy line to the red navigational
marker number 12 on the Marsh Island shoreline near Southwest
Pass, thence east along the shoreline of Marsh Island to 91 degrees
43 minutes and 00 seconds west longitude, thence north along 91
degrees 43 minutes and 00 seconds west longitude to the shoreline
of West Cote Blanche Bay, thence west along the northern shoreline
of West Cote Blanche Bay to its intersection with the Ivanhoe
Canal, thence north along the eastern shoreline of the Ivanhoe
Canal to its intersection with the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway,
and thence west along the northern shoreline of the Gulf Intracoastal
Waterway and terminating at the Acadiana Navigational Channel.
All remaining crab
traps in the closure area during the closure period will be considered
abandoned and may be retrieved by anyone and brought to designated
disposal sites. However, unserviceable crab traps may be kept
on board and properly disposed of onshore by shrimp fishermen
outside of the closed area according to R. S. 56:332.
The open waters of
Vermilion Bay and West Cote Blanche Bay are publicly owned, but
a portion of the closure area includes privately owned property.
These trap removal regulations do not provide authorization for
public access to private property. Authorization to access private
property can only be provided by individual landowners.
The Louisiana Department
of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) designated crab trap disposal
sites at Marsh Island Wildlife Refuge headquarters (on the northern
shore of Marsh Island) and Quintana Canal public boat launch (approximately
2.5 miles before the end of LA Hwy. 319 at Cypremort Point).
Louisiana's derelict
crab trap removal program uses volunteers to collect abandoned
crab traps and bring them to designated disposal sites.
In contrast to winter's
shallow water crab trap clean ups in which volunteers target visible
abandoned crab traps near the shore line, the Vermilion Bay and
West Cote Blanche Bay clean up will be largely dependent upon
shrimp fishermen who incidentally capture deep water crab traps
in their shrimp gear.
However, there will
be sufficient abandoned crab traps with buoys for volunteers to
target. The first Saturday of the closure period will be the primary
volunteer day for people other than shrimp fishermen.
LDWF personnel will
be present at the Quintana Canal public boat launch at 8 a.m.
to distribute instructions, maps and supplies (tarps, grappling
hooks, garbage bags and gloves) to the volunteers, and to assist
with the unloading of derelict traps. First aid kits will be available
if needed.
Volunteers please contact
Paul Cook at 337/373-0032 or pcook@wlf.louisiana.gov.
For more details about additional regulations, maps and instructions
for volunteers please visit the Derelict Crab Trap Removal Program
Web site at www.derelictcrabtrap.net.
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