The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission is considering a proposal for a new fall red snapper season in state waters that would begin Friday.
The panel will take up the proposal—put forth by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and backed by Gov. John Bel Edwards—at its Thursday meeting, set for 9:30 a.m. at the LDWF headquarters.
Additional harvest days would be for the weekends—Friday, Saturday and Sunday—only. The department is proposing the new season because red snapper landings’ estimates from the LA Creel Program indicate that Louisiana’s recreational fishermen landed about 936,860 pounds of red snapper through Sept. 4, when the extended, weekends only, federal red snapper season closed, says LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucet.
The landings account for approximately 90% of LWDF’s self-imposed limit of 1,044,793 pounds. The new season would allow recreational anglers to harvest the limit’s remaining 107,929 pounds of red snapper in state waters—with a daily bag and possession limit of two fish per person. Each fish must be a minimum of 16 inches long.
LDWF believes limiting red snapper catch will increase the state’s chances of receiving federal permission to manage its own red snapper season out 200 nautical miles from the Louisiana coast.
If approved by the commission, Montoucet will have the authority to close the season when the self-imposed limit is reached or projected to be met.
