RS 495.1 - Trawling vessels; size of trawls; butterfly nets
A.(1) No trawling shall be permitted in inside waters during the closed season. No vessel may pull more than the following trawl rigging in inside waters:
(a) One trawl which shall not exceed fifty feet in length along the corkline and sixty-six feet along the lead line and in addition, one test trawl.
(b) Two trawls which shall not exceed twenty-five feet along the corkline, thirty-three feet along the lead line, and have trawl doors no larger than eight feet in length and forty-three inches in height and, in addition, one test trawl.
(c) Two trawls which shall not exceed twenty-five feet along the corkline, thirty-three feet along the lead line, and have no more than two outer trawl doors no larger than eight feet in length and forty-three inches in height and no more than two inner sled doors, and in addition, one test trawl.
(2) It shall be legal for a vessel in Breton and Chandeleur Sounds to pull no more than one or two trawls, either or both of which cannot exceed sixty-five feet along the corkline and eighty-two feet along the lead line in length, plus one test trawl. The boundary of Breton and Chandeleur Sounds for the use of these trawls shall be as follows: Beginning at the most northerly point on the south side of Taylor Pass, latitude 29 degrees 22 minutes 50.4 seconds N., longitude 89 degrees 20 minutes 3.8 seconds W. which is on the inside-outside shrimp line as described in R.S. 56:495; thence westerly to Deep Water Point, latitude 29 degrees 23 minutes 24.7 seconds N., longitude 89 degrees 22 minutes 49.8 seconds W.; thence westerly to Coquille Point, latitude 29 degrees 23 minutes 18.0 seconds N., longitude 89 degrees 23 minutes 57.7 seconds W.; thence westerly to Raccoon Point, latitude 29 degrees 24 minutes 02.3 seconds N., longitude 89 degrees 28 minutes 05.7 seconds W.; thence northwesterly to California Point, latitude 29 degrees 27 minutes 21.7 seconds N., longitude 89 degrees 31 minutes 19.7 seconds W.; thence northerly to Mozambique Point, latitude 29 degrees 37 minutes 43.4 seconds N., longitude 89 degrees 29 minutes 27.4 seconds W.; thence northeasterly to Grace Point (red light no. 62 on the MRGO), latitude 29 degrees 40 minutes 40.5 seconds N., longitude 89 degrees 23 minutes 08.0 seconds W.; thence northerly to Deadman Point, latitude 29 degrees 44 minutes 23.0 seconds N., longitude 89 degrees 21 minutes 09.0 seconds W.; thence easterly to Point Lydia, latitude 29 degrees 45 minutes 48.0 seconds N., longitude 89 degrees 17 minutes 10.0 seconds W.; thence northerly to Point Comfort, latitude 29 degrees 49 minutes 33.7 seconds N., longitude 89 degrees 14 minutes 42.7 seconds W.; thence northerly to the most easterly point of Mitchell Island, latitude 29 degrees 53 minutes 46.0 seconds N., longitude 89 degrees 12 minutes 22.0 seconds W.; thence northerly to the most easterly point on Martin Island, latitude 29 degrees 57 minutes 29.6 seconds N., longitude 89 degrees 11 minutes 36.6 seconds W.; thence northerly to the most easterly point on Brush Island, latitude 30 degrees 02 minutes 38.6 seconds N., longitude 89 degrees 10 minutes 23.6 seconds W.; thence northerly to Door Point, latitude 30 degrees 03 minutes 46.0 seconds N., longitude 89 degrees 10 minutes 36.0 seconds W.; thence northerly to the most easterly point on Isle Au Pitre, latitude 30 degrees 09 minutes 20.5 seconds N., longitude 89 degrees 11 minutes 15.5 seconds W.; thence north 03 degrees 20 minutes 13 seconds east (grid) a distance of 20001.25 feet (grid) to a point on the Louisiana-Mississippi Lateral Boundary, latitude 30 degrees 12 minutes 37.9056 seconds N., longitude 89 degrees 10 minutes 57.9725 seconds W.; thence south 60 degrees 20 minutes 06 seconds east (grid) along the Louisiana-Mississippi Lateral Boundary a distance of 31555.93 feet (grid), latitude 30 degrees 09 minutes 58.1371 seconds N., longitude 89 degrees 05 minutes 48.9910 seconds W.; thence south 82 degrees 53 minutes 54 seconds east (grid) continuing along the Louisiana-Mississippi Lateral Boundary a distance of 72650.64 feet, latitude 30 degrees 08 minutes 14.6070 seconds N., longitude 88 degrees 52 minutes 10.0766 seconds W.; thence south 0 degrees 03 minutes 38 seconds west (grid) a distance of 32493.40 feet (grid) to the Chandeleur Light, latitude 30 degrees 02 minutes 53.0312 seconds N., longitude 88 degrees 52 minutes 18.4173 seconds W., which is on the inside-outside shrimp line as described in R.S. 56:495; thence southerly along the inside-outside shrimp line as described in R.S. 56:495 to the point of beginning.
(3) "Test trawl", as used in this Section, means a trawl which is not more than sixteen feet along the corkline or twenty feet along the lead line or head rope.
B. Fishing with a butterfly net or skimmer net shall be prohibited in inside waters during the closed season.
C. In outside waters, no vessel shall pull more than four trawls and one test trawl.
D. Violation of the provisions of this Section shall constitute a class four violation.
E.(1) In addition to any and all other penalties, for the first conviction of shrimping during the closed season, the court may revoke or suspend the violator's trawl, skimmer, and butterfly gear licenses for one year from the date of the conviction. During such revocation or suspension, the violator may be present on a vessel harvesting or possessing shrimp or possessing a trawl, skimmer, or butterfly net, only if the vessel is equipped with and employs an operating vessel monitoring system which is accessible to the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The court shall sentence the violator to perform forty hours of community service. If a litter abatement community service is available, the hours shall be served in a community service litter abatement program.
(2) For the second conviction of shrimping during the closed season, the court shall revoke or suspend the violator's trawl, skimmer, or butterfly gear licenses for three years from the date of the second conviction. During such revocation or suspension, the violator may be present on a vessel harvesting or possessing shrimp or possessing a trawl, skimmer, or butterfly net, only if the vessel is equipped with and employs an operating vessel monitoring system which is accessible to the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. In lieu of the mandatory jail requirement found in R.S. 56:34, the court may sentence the offender to perform the corresponding amount of jail days in community service. If a litter abatement community service is available, the hours shall be served in a community service litter abatement program.
(3) For the third and subsequent convictions of shrimping during the closed season, the court shall revoke or suspend the violator's trawl, skimmer, or butterfly gear licenses for ten years from the date of the last conviction. During such revocation or suspension, the violator may be present on a vessel harvesting or possessing shrimp or possessing a trawl, skimmer, or butterfly net, only if the vessel is equipped with and employs an operating vessel monitoring system which is accessible to the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. In lieu of the mandatory jail requirement found in R.S. 56:34, except for thirty days of the requirement, the court may sentence the offender to perform the corresponding amount of jail days in community service. If a litter abatement community service is available, the hours shall be served in a community service litter abatement program.
F.(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, in Louisiana offshore territorial waters extending from the Texas state line to the Mississippi state line, each shrimping vessel shall, in addition to one test trawl, only use nets that do not exceed a total maximum per vessel of one hundred thirty feet of corkline and one hundred sixty-five feet of lead line.
(2) In addition to any other penalties provided by law, violation of the provisions of this Subsection shall constitute a class four violation.
(3) The provisions of this Subsection shall supersede and control to the extent of any conflict with any other provision of law.
G. Any person required to be on board a vessel with an approved vessel monitoring system shall comply with all rules and regulations adopted by the department to ensure compliance with vessel monitoring system requirements. The cost of a vessel monitoring system shall be the responsibility of the person required to be on such vessel. The department shall determine approved vessel monitoring systems.
Added by Acts 1962, No. 452, §2. Amended by Acts 1964, No. 490, §1; Acts 1971, No. 179, §1; Acts 1977, No. 549, §§1, 2; Acts 1978, No. 295, §1, eff. July 10, 1978; Acts 1979, No. 291, §1; Acts 1981, No. 837, §3; Acts 1983, No. 600, §1; Acts 1984, No. 692, §1; Acts 1985, No. 657, §1, eff. July 16, 1985; Acts 1986, No. 864, §1; Acts 1986, No. 904, §3; SCR No. 60, 1987; Acts 1988, No. 958, §1, eff. July 27, 1988; Acts 1988, No. 894, §1, eff. July 21, 1988; Acts 1990, No. 250, §1, eff. July 3, 1990; Acts 1991, No. 258, §1; Acts 1991, No. 931, §1; Acts 1995, No. 1140, §1, eff. June 29, 1995; Acts 1997, No. 262, §1, eff. June 17, 1997; Acts 1997, No. 277, §1; Acts 1999, No. 421, §1; Acts 2001, No. 148, §1; Acts 2005, No. 102, §1; Acts 2005, No. 183, §1; Acts 2008, No. 320, §1, eff. Aug. 1, 2008.