LDWF Reopens 2022 Oyster Season in Sister Lake

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries reopened the oyster season in designated portions of the Public Oyster Seed Reservation in Sister Lake to allow harvest for sacking only (3 inches or larger). Recent biological sampling by LDWF has indicated additional resource availability in Sister Lake. This additional opening will allow limited harvest of the resource that is available on the reefs.

The Sister Lake Public Oyster Seed Reservation will open for sacking only of market size oysters, at one half-hour before sunrise on Monday, March 21, 2022 and close at one-half hour after sunset on Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

During the 2021-22 oyster season, the following provisions will be in effect:

• Any vessel from which any person(s) takes or attempts to take oysters from the public oyster seed reservations described above shall be limited to a daily take not to exceed 25 whole sacks of oysters per vessel. A sack of oysters for the purposes of this Declaration of Emergency shall be defined as the size described in R.S. 56:440. If sacks smaller than the size described in R.S. 56:440 are used, the daily harvest and possession limit shall be based on the number of sacks used, not the size of the sack or other measures.
• This opening is limited to harvesting only market oysters for direct sale (sacking).
• If any person on a vessel takes or attempts to take oysters from the public oyster reservation described above, all oysters contained on that vessel will be deemed to have been taken from said seed ground or reservation from the time harvest begins until all oysters are off-loaded dockside.
• All oysters harvested from public areas, seed grounds or reservations for the purpose of market must be uncontaminated, sealed and not gaping.
• All oysters harvested from public areas, seed grounds or reservations for the purpose of market sales must measure a minimum of 3 inches from hinge to bill.
• Market oysters harvested from any public oyster area, seed ground or reservation must be sacked, the number of sacks recorded in a log book, and each sack properly tagged prior to leaving said public oyster area, seed ground, or reservation.
• All vessels located in public oyster areas, seed grounds or reservations during those times between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before sunrise must have all oyster scrapers unshackled.
• The taking of oysters from the public oyster seed grounds or reservations without an oyster seed ground vessel permit shall be a class two violation subject to the penalties provided in RS 56:32 and to the requirements of RS 56:424.1.