La. Admin. Code tit. 76 § VII-307
Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024
Section VII-307 - Menhaden SeasonA. The season for the taking of menhaden as well as processing of menhaden shall be from the third Monday in April through November 1.B. No menhaden may be landed in Louisiana ports except during the menhaden season as described in LAC 76:VII.307.A.C. The menhaden season shall apply to all waters one-half statute mile seaward of the inside-outside line described in R.S. 56:495, except as noted in Subsection D, including waters in the Federal Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and in Chandeleur and Breton Sounds as described in Subsection E below. All other inside waters and passes are permanently closed to menhaden fishing.D. Coastal Buffer Restrictions 1. Restrictions off Elmer's Island, Louisiana. The menhaden season shall apply to waters beginning 1 statute mile seaward of the inside-outside line from the eastern shore of Belle Pass, Louisiana to the eastern shore of Caminada Pass, Louisiana.2. Restrictions off Grand Isle, Louisiana. The menhaden season shall apply to waters beginning 3 statute miles seaward of the inside-outside line from the eastern shore of Caminada Pass, Louisiana to the eastern shore of Barataria Pass, Louisiana.3. Restrictions off West Grand Terre Island, Louisiana. The menhaden season shall apply to waters beginning 1 statute mile seaward of the inside-outside line from the eastern shore of Barataria Pass, Louisiana to the eastern shore of Pass Abel, Louisiana.4. Restrictions off Holly Beach, Louisiana. The menhaden season shall apply to waters beginning 1 statute mile seaward of the inside-outside line from the intersection of a private levee road and LA-27 (Latitude 29 degrees 46 minutes 01.54 seconds N, Longitude 93 degrees 24 minutes 23.00 seconds W), thence westward to the easternmost point of the rock breakwaters west of Holly Beach, Louisiana (Latitude 29 degrees 46 minutes 00.90 seconds N, Longitude 93 degrees 29 minutes 26.91 seconds W). All coordinates are in NAD 1983 feet.E. For purposes of the menhaden season, Breton and Chandeleur Sounds are described as that portion of the statutorily described inside waters as shown on a map by Raymond C. Impastato, P.L.S., dated July 20, 1992, and more particularly described as follows. 1. Beginning at the most northerly point on the south side of Taylor Pass, Latitude 29 degrees 23 minutes 00 seconds N, Longitude 89 degrees 20 minutes 06 seconds W which is on the inside-outside shrimp line as described in R.S. 56:495; thence westerly to Deep Water Point, Latitude 29 degrees 23 minutes 36 seconds N, Longitude 89 degrees 22 minutes 54 seconds W; thence westerly to Coquille Point, Latitude 29 degrees 23 minutes 36 seconds N, Longitude 89 degrees 24 minutes 12 seconds W; thence westerly to Raccoon Point, Latitude 29 degrees 24 minutes 06 seconds N, Longitude 89 degrees 28 minutes 10 seconds W; thence northerly to the most northerly point of Sable Island, Latitude 29 degrees 24 minutes 54 seconds N, Longitude 89 degrees 28 minutes 27 seconds W; thence northwesterly to California Point, Latitude 29 degrees 27 minutes 33 seconds N, Longitude 89 degrees 31 minutes 18 seconds W; thence northerly to Telegraph Point, Latitude 29 degrees 30 minutes 57 seconds N, Longitude 89 degrees 30 minutes 57 seconds W; thence northerly to Mozambique Point, Latitude 29 degrees 37 minutes 20 seconds N, Longitude 89 degrees 29 minutes 11 seconds W; thence northeasterly to Grace Point (red light no. 62 on the M.R.G.O.), Latitude 29 degrees 40 minutes 40 seconds N, Longitude 89 degrees 23 minutes 10 seconds W; thence northerly to Deadman Point, Latitude 29 degrees 44 minutes 06 seconds N, Longitude 89 degrees 21 minutes 05 seconds W; thence easterly to Point Lydia, Latitude 29 degrees 45 minutes 27 seconds N, Longitude 89 degrees 16 minutes 12 seconds W; thence northerly to Point Comfort, Latitude 29 degrees 49 minutes 32 seconds N, Longitude 89 degrees 14 minutes 18 seconds W; thence northerly to the most easterly point on Mitchell Island, Latitude 29 degrees 53 minutes 42 seconds N, Longitude 89 degrees 11 minutes 50 seconds W; thence northerly to the most easterly point on Martin Island, Latitude 29 degrees 57 minutes 30 seconds N, Longitude 89 degrees 11 minutes 05 seconds W; thence northerly to the most easterly point on Brush Island, Latitude 30 degrees 02 minutes 42 seconds N, Longitude 89 degrees 10 minutes 06 seconds W; thence northerly to Door Point, Latitude 30 degrees 03 minutes 45 seconds N, Longitude 89 degrees 10 minutes 08 seconds W; thence northerly to the most easterly point on Isle Au Pitre, Latitude 30 degrees 09 minutes 27 seconds N, Longitude 89 degrees 11 minutes 02 seconds W; thence north (grid) a distance of 19214.60 feet to a point on the Louisiana-Mississippi Lateral Boundary, Latitude 30 degrees 12 minutes 37.1781 seconds N, Longitude 89 degrees 10 minutes 57.8925 seconds W; thence S60 degrees 20 minutes 06 seconds E (grid) along the Louisiana-Mississippi Lateral Boundary a distance of 31555.38 feet, Latitude 30 degrees 09 minutes 57.4068 seconds N, Longitude 89 degrees 05 minutes 48.9240 seconds W; thence S82 degrees 53 minutes 53 seconds E (grid) continuing along the Louisiana-Mississippi Lateral Boundary a distance of 72649.38 feet, Latitude 30 degrees 08 minutes 14.1260 seconds N, Longitude 89 degrees 52 minutes 10.3224 seconds W; thence south (grid) a distance of 32521.58 feet to the Chandeleur Light, Latitude 30 degrees 02 minutes 52 seconds N, Longitude 88 degrees 52 minutes 18 seconds W, which is on the inside-outside shrimp line as described in R.S. 56:495; thence southeasterly along the inside-outside shrimp line as described in R.S. 56:495 to the point of beginning.F.1. No menhaden purse seine gear shall be released or abandoned while on the water or during the course of fishing operations. In the event that gear is released, such gear shall be marked in an appropriate manner to facilitate retrieval and effectively warn of navigational hazards caused by the released gear. Such gear shall be retrieved from the water within 48 hours of release. Failure to retrieve the gear within the prescribed period shall be considered abandonment of the gear.2. If the contents of menhaden purse seine gear are released during the course of fishing operations, all reasonable attempts to retrieve any dead menhaden and any dead bycatch from the environment shall commence within 12 hours of the event. Retrieval efforts shall continue until the released contents of the menhaden purse seine have been removed from the environment to the extent practicable.3. Any unintentional or intentional release of purse seine gear or contents of purse seine gear by the commercial reduction menhaden fishery shall be reported to the Enforcement Division within two hours of such release. This reporting shall be by email and by phone call to the Enforcement Division dispatch and communications center. The report shall contain, at a minimum, the following information: a. the date and approximate time of the release,b. the species of fish released,c. an estimated number of fish released,d. an estimate of the disposition of the fish released,e. the vessel which released the fish,f. to the extent available and practicable, photographic or video documentation of sufficient resolution to clearly depict the scope and composition of the release,g. the coordinates of the location of the release, andh. the causative factors of the release of fish.4. Any release of the contents of a menhaden purse seine as set forth in this Subsection shall be considered waste of a fishery resource and subject to civil fine and restitution for the value of the wasted fish. Failure to retrieve menhaden purse seine gear from the environment or the released contents of a menhaden purse seine to the extent practicable, as set forth in this Subsection shall constitute a commercial littering violation pursuant to R.S. 30:2531.3.La. Admin. Code tit. 76, § VII-307
Promulgated by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, LR 5:329 (October 1979), amended LR 14:547 (August 1988), LR 19:58 (January 1993), LR 19:1179 (September 1993), Amended LR 481588 (6/1/2022), Amended LR 49514 (3/1/2023), Amended LR 50, exp. 6/20/2024(Emergency), Amended LR 50830 (6/1/2024).AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 56:6(25)(a), R.S. 56:313, R.S. 56:315, R.S. 56:326.3, and R.S. 56:409.1.