NEWSROOM
Dates
Set for 4th Annual Derelict Crab Trap Removal
February 7, 2007
The dates
and zones for the 4th Annual Derelict Crab Trap Removal Program
have been set for 2007. The two crab trap closures and clean-ups
will take place in portions of Barataria Bay and the Lake Pontchartrain
estuaries. In Lake Pontchartrain, the program will run from Saturday,
Feb. 24 through Sunday, March 4 overlapping the Barataria Bay
program dates of Saturday, March 3 through Sunday, March 11.
The designated
volunteer days will be on Feb. 24 and March 3 for the Lake Pontchartrain
clean up and March 3 and March 10 for the Barataria Bay clean
up. However, traps may be retrieved at other times during the
closure period.
Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries personnel will be present
at each disposal site on designated volunteer days beginning at
8 a.m. and remaining until approximately 4 p.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 also be available if needed.
Locations of the designated sites used for the disposal of crab
traps collected will be announced following their approval.
All crab traps
remaining in each closure area during the closure period will
be considered abandoned and may be collected by anyone. However,
there are several restrictions that pertain to collection of these
derelict crab traps. First, crab traps may be removed only between
one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Second,
these abandoned crab traps may not be possessed outside of the
closure area and must be brought to sites designated by the LDWF
Secretary. These trap removal regulations do not provide authorization
for public access to private property. Individual landowners can
only provide authorization to access private property.
The Barataria
Bay crab trap closure and clean up area includes that portion
of Lafourche, Jefferson and Plaquemines parishes as described
below:
from a point
originating from the intersection of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
and the northern shoreline of Hero Canal; thence due north to
a point along the northern shoreline of the Gulf Intracoastal
Waterway; thence southward and then westward along the northern
shoreline of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway to a point opposite
the western shoreline of Bayou Perot; thence due south to the
western shoreline of Bayou Perot; thence southward along the western
shoreline of Bayou Perot to Little Lake; thence southward along
the western shoreline of Little Lake to 29 degrees, 30 minutes,
00 seconds north latitude; thence eastward along 29 degrees, 30
minutes, 00 seconds north latitude to the eastern shoreline of
Wilkinson Canal; thence northward along the eastern shoreline
of Wilkinson Canal to its termination; thence due north to the
western shore of the Mississippi River; thence northwestward along
the western shore of the Mississippi River to a point due east
of the northern shoreline of Hero Canal; thence due west to the
northern shoreline of Hero Canal; thence westward along the northern
shoreline of Hero Canal and terminating at its intersection with
the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
The Lake Pontchartrain
crab trap closure and clean up area includes that portion of Jefferson,
Orleans, St. Bernard, and St. Tammany parishes as described below:
from a point
originating from the intersection of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway
Bridge and the southern shoreline of Lake Pontchartrain; thence
eastward along the southern shoreline of Lake Pontchartrain to
Chef Menteur Pass; thence southward along the western shoreline
of Chef Menteur Pass to Lake Borgne; thence due south a distance
of one-half mile from the Lake Borgne shoreline; thence eastward
and then northward a distance of one-half mile from the Lake Borgne
shoreline to a point due east of Catfish Point; thence northwesterly
across Rigolets Pass to the southeastern most point of land on
Hog Island; thence westward along the northern shoreline of Rigolets
Pass to its intersection with U.S. Highway 90; thence northward
along U.S. Highway 90 to its intersection with U.S. Highway 190
(Fremaux Avenue); thence westerly along U.S. Highway 190 to Military
Road; thence northward on Military road to U.S. Highway 190 (Gause
Boulevard); thence westward on U.S. Highway 190 (Gause Boulevard)
to Causeway Boulevard; thence southward along Causeway Boulevard
and then the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Bridge and terminating
at its intersection with the southern shoreline of Lake Pontchartrain.
This program
has been endorsed by the Louisiana Crab Task Force, Louisiana
Sea Grant, and LSU Cooperative Extension Service and by conservation
organizations such as the Barataria - Terrebonne National Estuary
Program, Coastal Conservation Association, and Louisiana Wildlife
Federation. A diverse group of volunteers have participated, including
commercial crab fishermen, recreational fishermen, concerned individuals,
and representatives of conservation and environmental organizations,
state and federal agencies, and universities.
Abandoned
crab trap closures and clean ups in 2004, 2005 and 2006 proved
very successful in regards to the total number of retrieved traps,
volunteer participation and acceptance by all user groups. An
overall total of 14,452 crab traps were collected; 6,894 traps
during two clean ups in 2004, 4,623 during four clean-ups in 2005,
and 2,935 abandoned crab traps in one clean up in 2006.
LDWF will
be coordinating the derelict crab trap removal efforts, but the
program is volunteer-based and cannot succeed without continued
public assistance. It is an excellent opportunity for everyone
who enjoys our coastal waters to work together and to help make
a difference. All water-based user groups, including recreational
anglers, boaters, waterfowl hunters, and commercial and recreational
shrimp and crab fishermen, are encouraged to participate in the
trap cleanup. Several types of boats are needed: small shallow-draft
boats and airboats to retrieve traps, and larger mother vessels
(such as commercial crab boats) to collect traps from smaller
boats.
Funding for
the 2007 crab trap clean is provided by increases in recreational
and commercial crab trap gear license fees statutorily dedicated
to support the abandoned crab trap removal program. The Louisiana
Crab Task Force endorsed these fee increases.
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