LWFC stamps fishery closure near Grand Isle

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission put its stamp on the recent fishery closure of the stretch of beaches from Caminada Pass to Belle Pass during its monthly meeting Thursday in Baton Rouge.

Using a Declaration of Emergency, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ secretary Robert Barham closed state waters within one mile of the beaches along Elmer’s Island at Caminada Pass to The Fourchon at Belle Pass earlier this week.

The closure includes all commercial fishing activity and recreational crabbing and shrimping. Recreational and charterboat fin-fishing and bait-catching activities are not included in the closure.

The move came in the aftermath of Hurricane Isaac. Wind-driven waves and a storm surge of 5.6 feet shoved mats of oily tar balls near and onto the beaches. Elmer’s Island, managed by the LDWF, is also closed.

Other LWFC action included:

• Approving a Notice of Intent to allow year-round live-bait catches by those holding special bait dealers permits. The new regulation also will allow bait catchers to use bait trawls at night;
• Approving a Notice of Intent for the 2013 Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Program for areas in St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes. The joint efforts by the LDWF and LSU SeaGrant are scheduled for Feb. 16-25 in Plaquemines Parish waters and March 9-18 in the Biloxi Marsh area of St. Bernard Parish;
• Learning that LDWF Enforcement Division personnel rescued more than 1,600 people during and after Hurricane Isaac last week, and that Enforcement agents issued 1,153 citations and 405 written warnings during August;
• And, approving its January 2013 meeting for Jan. 3 in Baton Rouge.