Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024
A. Purpose.
Pursuant to Louisiana Revised Statute 56:673 and in response to a resolution
from the Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources to provide for a
recreational fishing vessel traversing corridor east of the Mississippi River
in Louisiana territorial waters to enhance safe passage for Mississippi
recreational anglers fishing the federal exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the
commission hereby enters into an agreement with the Mississippi Commission on
Marine Resources as follows.
B.
Traversing Corridor. For the purposes of this agreement the traversing corridor
is established as those waters of Mississippi Sound, Breton Sound and
Chandeleur Sound eastward from the double rig line as defined in Louisiana
Revised Statutes 56:495.1(A)(2) to the eastern most extent of Louisiana
territorial waters.
C. Eligibility.
To be eligible to traverse Louisiana state waters under this agreement, anglers
must comply with all of the following.
1.
Anglers must be a licensed recreational fisherman for the state of Mississippi
(resident or non-resident), or be legally able to fish in Mississippi waters;
and provide proof of such while traversing waters within the territorial
boundaries of Louisiana.
2. With
the exception of licensed Mississippi charter vessels and persons aboard such
charters, anglers must not be licensed to fish recreationally by the state of
Louisiana. If an angler is a holder of a Louisiana fishing license then they
must comply with the requirements for the state of Louisiana while possessing
fish in Louisiana waters, regardless if only traversing.
3. Persons aboard vessels which are
registered or documented in the state of Louisiana are required to comply with
Louisiana fisheries regulations while fishing or possessing fish in Louisiana
waters or outside of Louisiana waters when the fishery management plan for that
fishery has been delegated to Louisiana for that fishery.
4. Vessels in the traversing corridor must be
moving and anglers can not be in the act of fishing by any means.
5. The only fish species allowed to be
possessed by a person aboard a vessel while traversing are the following
federally managed species or species groups:
a. reef fish;
b. highly migratory species;
c. coastal migratory pelagic;
d. triggerfishes.
6. If the state of Mississippi is not
participating in a regional management program for a particular species, then
all fishermen shall comply with applicable federal fisheries regulations for
that species if not fishing under a Louisiana regional management program for
that species.
7. For purposes of
this section, regional management is defined as a state exercising management
over a fishery under state law and regulations where authority for a federal
fishery management plan for that fishery has been approved and delegated by the
National Marines Fisheries Service.
AUTHORITY NOTE:
Promulgated in accordance with
R.S.56:6(28) and
R.S.
56:673.
