Louisiana Shrimp Task Force to Meet Next Week in Houma

Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries 11.24.12

The Louisiana Shrimp Task Force will meet next Tuesday, November 27, at 1:00 p.m. in Houma in the Terrebonne Parish Council Meeting Room, located on the 2nd Floor Government Towers at 8026 Main Street Houma, LA

The agenda is as follows:

I. Status of increase of skimmer size legislation

II TED legislation update

III. Update on experimental permits for boom trawls

IV. Discussion of enhancing management opportunities

V. Update from Seafood Board

VI. Louisiana Seafood Academy Discussion – SeaGrant

VII. Update on Louisiana Certified Seafood program

VIII. Discussion of Fisheries Improvement Plan

IX. Public comment

X. Set next meeting date

The Louisiana Shrimp Task Force was created by Act 606 of the Louisiana Legislature to study and monitor the shrimp industry and to make recommendations to the state.

Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries – Enforcement Division(LDWF) is the fish & game regulatory agency of Louisiana. It has jurisdictionanywhere in the state, and in state territorial waters. The agency enforces both state and federal laws dealing with hunting, fishing, and boating safety. The agency also enforces criminal laws in rural areas including DWI enforcement both on highways and waterways. Most of the Department’s Wildlife Agents also carry Federal law enforcement commissions issued from the United States Department of the Interior - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and United States Department of Commerce - U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). These federal commissions allow these state officers to enforce federal migratory waterfowl laws and federal marine fisheries laws in state and federal waters off the coast of Louisiana. Besides their traditional role as a “game warden”, Louisiana Wildlife Enforcement Agents also have a number of other responsibilities, including conducting board of health inspections on some portions of the state’s commercial fishing industry. Agents are trained in and conduct numerous search and rescue operations, both in remote land areas and on the state’s waterways. Agents ensure that hunters, anglers, boaters, dealers, breeders, farmers, and transporters are in compliance with regulations governing equipment, quotas, licenses, and registrations. Agents also assist other State departments and law enforcement agencies in the coordination of educational and professional endeavors, as well as national and state emergency alerts by the Federal Office of Emergency Preparedness. In addition, agents perform search and rescue missions alone or in conjunction with other local, state, and federal agencies.