La. Admin. Code tit. 76 § VII-369

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

Section VII-369 - Shrimping Closed Season, Vessel Monitoring System

A. Purpose. To maximize voluntary compliance with shrimping regulations and to reduce purposeful shrimping violations by providing adequate deterrence thereby reducing recidivism.

B. Persons who are required to be monitored:

1. any person subject to a court order requiring monitoring;

2. any person having two or more convictions during the preceding five year period for harvesting shrimp during closed season.

C. Persons required to be monitored shall not be present on board any vessel harvesting or possessing shrimp, or which has any trawl, skimmer, or butterfly net on board, unless that vessel is equipped with and is using and employing an approved, fully functional and operating vessel monitoring system (VMS) as required by R.S. 56:495.1 and R.S. 56:497.1 and these regulations.

D. Required monitoring periods:

1. persons who are subject to a court order requiring that they be monitored shall be monitored and who do not have two or more convictions during the preceding five year period for harvesting shrimp during closed season for the period specified by the order of the court;

2. persons who have had two convictions during the preceding five year period for harvesting shrimp during closed season shall be monitored for a period of three years from the date of the most recent conviction;

3. persons who have had three or more convictions during the preceding five year period for harvesting shrimp during closed season shall be monitored for a period of 10 years from the date of the most recent conviction.

E. The VMS unit must be approved and certified, must be installed onboard the vessel, and must be fully operational. The department must first be notified of the installation, before a person who is required to be monitored may be present onboard the vessel. If a person who is required to be monitored is found to be on any vessel-harvesting shrimp or possessing shrimp, or possessing any trawl, skimmer, or butterfly net without an approved VMS device being on board and operating, the person who is required to be monitored shall be in violation of VMS shrimping requirements and shall be guilty of a class four violation pursuant to R.S. 56:497.1.C and R.S. 56:34. Each license issued to a person who is required to be on a VMS monitored vessel shall indicate that the licensee may only be present on a VMS monitored vessel.

F. Persons who are required to be monitored shall be responsible for the VMS Requirements as specified in LAC 76:VII.371.

G. Violation. Failure to abide by any regulation set forth regarding the use or operation of VMS, or failure to have VMS when required shall be a violation of R.S. 56:497.1.C and requirements of probation where applicable. All shrimp taken or possessed by a person in violation of these rules, and who is identified on his commercial license as required to be VMS monitored, shall be deemed illegally taken and possessed. The provisions of this Section do not exempt any person from any other laws, rules, regulation, and license requirements for this or other jurisdictions. Violations of this Section shall constitute a class 4 violation.

H. All costs and monthly fees associated with the installation, operation and monitoring of any VMS system in accordance with these rules shall be the responsibility of the person required to be monitored and shall be paid by him directly to the approved VMS supplier and monitoring facilitator.

La. Admin. Code tit. 76, § VII-369

Promulgated by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, LR 32:1255 (July 2006), amended LR 34:887 (May 2008).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 56.495.1, and R.S. 56:497.1.