Opinion ID: 1688913
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Interpretation of La.Rev.Stat. 34:1073

Text: The scope of LPSC's regulatory authority is set forth in La.Rev.Stat. 34:1073, which provides in pertinent part: There shall be a body of pilots to be known as River Port Pilots whose duty it shall be to pilot seagoing vessels within the state of Louisiana, through all navigable streams, canals, channels, rivers, passes and bars within the state of Louisiana and across the bars and passes .... (emphasis added). Defendant LPSC found that it does not have jurisdiction over the outer bar region which lies three to thirty-three miles seaward from the coast of Louisiana. They concede that the state has the authority to give them jurisdiction over this area but propose that the state has not opted to do so. The Industry Plaintiffs argue that LPSC's determinations are fatally flawed in that they leave the outer bar unregulated, giving unbridled authority to the River Pilots to set fees for this region. They submit that under the statutes, the dispute is frozen until the industry members of the Fee Commission participate in the process. Until the Fee Commission is functioning again, they contend the fee structure may not be changed. Furthermore, they argue that only the legislature may address this loophole by amending the statutes. In response, the River Pilot Plaintiffs argue that the trial court order which vacated the proposed tariff should be reversed and the matter should be remanded to the LPSC. They submit that if the Industry Plaintiff's position is adopted by this court, absurd results such as the inability to resolve fee disputes without legislative intervention would occur. The LPSC is correct in its contention that the state has the right to regulate the outer bar. See United States v. Locke, 529 U.S. 89, 120 S.Ct. 1135, 146 L.Ed.2d 69 (2000); Warner v. Dunlap, 532 F.2d 767 (1st Cir.1976) (States have been permitted to assert their pilotage regulations at distances considerably greater than three miles from their shores.); Bloomfield v. Sabine Pilots Association, et al., 262 F.2d 345, 347 (5th Cir.1959) (Congress has felt since the founding of this nation that her foreign commerce would best be served by state regulation of pilotage); The Whistler, 13 F. 295 (D.Or.1882) (State may regulate about 30 miles from the [river] mouth); Wilson v. McNamee, 102 U.S. 572, 26 L.Ed. 234 (1881) (State may regulate about fifty miles from ... port); The Nevada, 18 F.Cas. 16 (E.D.N.Y.1874) (The pilot laws of a state have sufficient effect beyond the boundaries of the state to fix the compensation of pilots); Cooley v. Board of Wardens of Port of Philadelphia, 53 U.S. 299, 13 L.Ed. 996 (1852) (State regulations were permitted in light of local needs and conditions). However, the LPSC incorrectly determined that it is without jurisdiction over the outer bar because the state has opted to not regulate this area. We find the plain wording of La.Rev.Stat. 34:1073 to be guiding on this issue. The Statute enunciates that licensed pilots are burdened with the duty to pilot seagoing vessels both within the state and across the bars and passes. By the very wording of La.Rev. Stat. 34:1073, the legislature has proclaimed that river pilots have the duty to pilot seagoing vessels outside of the state's territorial waters: on the outer bar. Contrary to the River Pilot's argument, the Statute does not limit the pilotage area to that contained within Louisiana's territorial waters. Rather, the Statute's wording indicates that the legislature intended to regulate those portions of the bars and passes lying outside the boundaries of the state. Had the legislature intended the duty of these pilots to end at the territorial boundaries of the state, it would not have included the conjunctive phrase and across the bars and passes. This conjunctive phrase indicates that pilots are expected to pilot ships during their ingress and egress of the state's territorial waters, through the bars and passes of the outer bar. Accordingly, we order the LPSC to regulate pilotage on the outer bar in compliance with La.Rev.Stat. 34:1073.