NEWSROOM
Vermilion
Bay/West Cote Blanche Bay Derelict Crab Trap Clean Up Dates Set
May 12, 2005
A crab trap closure
and an abandoned crab trap clean up will take place in a portion
of Vermilion Bay and West Cote Blanche Bay and surrounding marshes
for a nine-day period coinciding with the opening of the spring
inshore shrimp season at 6 a.m. on May 16 and ending on May 24
at 6 a.m.
Fishermen are required
to remove their crab traps from the closure area before 6 a.m.
May 16. Any remaining crab traps in the closure area from 6 a.m.
May 16 through 6 a.m. May 24 will be considered abandoned and
may be retrieved by anyone.
All traps retrieved
must be brought back to designated disposal sites at Marsh Island
Wildlife Refuge headquarters and Quintana Canal public boat launch.
However, unserviceable crab traps may be possessed by shrimp fishermen
outside of the closed area when in compliance with R. S. 56:332,
which mandates that a shrimp fisherman who catches an unserviceable
crab trap must keep it on board his vessel and properly dispose
of it onshore.
Shrimp fishermen who
incidentally capture crab traps in their shrimp gear are encouraged
to assist in the crab trap clean up. However, other volunteers
may also participate, with Saturday, May 21, designated as a volunteer
day.
LDWF personnel
will be present at the Quintana Canal public boat launch beginning
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. Contact Paul Cook
at (337) 373-0032 or pcook@wlf.louisiana.gov
about volunteering.
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