Louisiana LWF Commission Modifies Rules for Large Coastal Sharks

Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries 12.06.12

Today, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission took action on a Declaration of Emergency to modify the commercial harvest possession limits for Non-Sandbar Large Coastal Sharks. The commercial possession limit will increase from 33 to 36 for the 2013 commercial harvest season.

The National Marine Fisheries Service, in 2008, promulgated rules that established an increase in the commercial possession limit of Non-Sandbar Large Coastal Sharks from 33 to 36 sharks beginning with the 2013 commercial season. This action will provide consistency with federal regulations and increased opportunity for Louisiana shark fisherman to harvest more sharks.

In a related action, the LWFC also took action on a Notice of Intent to permanently modify the commercial Non-Sandbar Large Coastal Shark possession limits.

Interested persons may submit comments relative to the proposed rule to Jason Adriance, Fisheries Division, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, P.O. Box 98000, Baton Rouge, LA 70898-9000, or via e-mail to jadriance@wlf.la.gov prior to February 7, 2013.

The Non-Sandbar Large Coastal Sharks group includes great hammerhead, scalloped hammerhead, smooth hammerhead, nurse, blacktip, bull, lemon, silky, spinner and tiger sharks. Sandbar sharks are included in the Large Coastal Sharks group, however harvest and possession is prohibited without a special federal shark research permit issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

For more information please contact Jason Adriance at jadriance@wlf.la.gov or (504)284-2032. For press inquiries please contact Laura Wooderson at lwooderson@wlf.la.gov or (504)430-2623.

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.