2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 56 - Wildlife and Fisheries › §56:435.1.1. Oyster harvest in Calcasieu Lake

RS 56:435.1.1 - Oyster harvest in Calcasieu Lake
A.(1) Oyster harvesting in Calcasieu Lake shall be prohibited except by special permit issued annually by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries or as authorized by Paragraph (D)(2) of this Section. The commission shall promulgate rules and regulations to delineate the procedures by which the permits shall be issued.
(2) Such permit shall be in addition to all other licenses and permits required for harvesting of oysters. At all times, such oyster harvesting shall be limited to using hand tongs.
B. All vessels used for the commercial harvest of oysters on Calcasieu Lake must be self-propelled. "Self-propelled" means, when used in this Section, that the vessel shall travel under its own power to its harvest area and when loaded with oysters, shall travel under its own power to the place where the oysters are unloaded.
C. The commission shall fix the open season for oyster tonging in Calcasieu Lake, which shall begin on any date between October fifteenth and November first and shall end on April thirtieth. However, in consultation with the Calcasieu Oyster Task Force, the commission may open or close the season as biological data indicate a need and may manage East Cove and West Cove separately.
D.(1) After considering the recommendations by the Calcasieu Oyster Task Force, the commission shall set the harvest limit so that each permittee may harvest an amount not to exceed twenty-five sacks of oysters per day from one, and only one, licensed vessel. In addition, one and only one permittee may harvest from each licensed vessel per day and no vessel shall be used for more than one trip per day.
(2) In addition, recreational fishermen may harvest oysters as provided in R.S. 56:424(C). Harvest limits for recreational fishermen shall be one sack per person per day.
E.(1) Violation of any provision of this Section or of any Wildlife and Fisheries Commission regulation pertaining to taking, possessing, recording or reporting of landings or selling oysters from Calcasieu Lake shall constitute a Class 4 violation. The offender shall also be penalized as follows:
(a) For a first offense, the offender shall forfeit any permit to harvest oysters on Calcasieu Lake and shall be barred from obtaining such permit for the remainder of the period for which it was issued plus one year, during which time the offender shall be barred from participating in any oyster harvesting activity on Calcasieu Lake.
(b) For a second offense, the offender shall forfeit any permit to harvest oysters on Calcasieu Lake and shall be barred from obtaining a permit to harvest oysters on Calcasieu Lake for the remainder of the period for which it was issued plus two years, during which time the offender shall be barred from participating in any oyster harvesting activity on Calcasieu Lake.
(c) For a third offense, the offender shall forfeit any permit to harvest oysters on Calcasieu Lake and shall be permanently barred from obtaining a permit to harvest oysters on Calcasieu Lake and from participating in any oyster harvesting activity on Calcasieu Lake.
(2) Any person who participates in oyster harvesting on Calcasieu Lake while barred shall be penalized under the provisions of a Class 7-B violation.
Acts 2004, No. 479, §1; Acts 2006, No. 398, §1; Acts 2011, No. 329, §1, eff. June 29, 2011; Acts 2012, No. 541, §1, eff. June 5, 2012; Acts 2016, No. 133, §1; Acts 2017, No. 259, §1.