La. shark commercial fishing to close

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) announced March 12 that commercial fishing for large coastal sharks in the aggregated large coastal and hammerhead groups (great hammerhead, scalloped hammerhead, smooth hammerhead, nurse shark, bull shark, lemon shark, sandbar shark, silky shark, spinner shark, and tiger shark) will close in Louisiana waters at 11:30 p.m. on March 14. The National Marine Fisheries Service will also close commercial fishing for large coastal sharks in the aggregated large coastal and hammerhead groups in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico on March 14. The season will remain closed in state and federal waters until January 1, 2021. Commercial fishing for blacktip sharks remains open. During the closed season, all commercial harvest, possession, purchase, exchange, barter, trade, sale or attempt to purchase, exchange, barter, trade or sell large coastal sharks in the aggregated or hammerhead groups or their fins is prohibited. Vessels with a Federal Shark Research Permit may continue to operate under the conditions of that permit. (Source: LDWF 03/12/20)