Local fishermen fight regulations

A House concurrent resolution that would create a committee to study ways to further regulate crawfishing, anathema to St. Martin Parish commercial fishermen, was derailed in committee last week.
Meanwhile, another House concurrent resolution requesting the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to “examine the issue of a wild-caught crawfish fishing season” was fast-tracked out of the House and now sits in the Senate Committee on Natural Resources.
And a bill to impose a size limit and penalties, including imprisonment, for violating remains in the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment.
The Louisiana Crawfish Producers Association - West, a St. Martin-based organization of commercial fishermen, opposes all of those measures, according to LCPAW vice president Ben Bienvenu.
“This is all part of the effort to run us out of the Basin,” Bienvenu said. “Now they want to put somebody in jail for catching crawfish?”
After a somewhat passionate appeal by crawfishermen in the House committee, its members deferred the study measure, HCR 138, by a vote of 13-2.
The measure “urging the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to examine the issue of a wild-caught crawfish fishing season,” HCR 140, was introduced on May 13, adopted by the House without a prior committee hearing on May 14, and referred to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources on May 18.
HB 438, which remains in the House committee, would prohibits the sale of live crawfish “for direct human consumption” smaller than 3-1/2 inches from the tip of the rostrum to the rear edge of the carapace. Smaller crawfish could only be sold as “peelers” or for use as bait.
Punishment would range from a $100 fine to $750 and to 90 days in jail.
All three measures were introduced by Rep. Eddie Lambert, R-Gonzales. Rep. Karen St. Germain, D-Plaquemine, and Sen. Rick Ward III, R-Port Allen, are listed as coauthors on the concurrent resolutions.