Updated November 23, 2016 LouisianaFishery OysterManagement Plan Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Office of Fisheries Authors: Patrick Banks, Steve Beck, Katie Chapiesky, and Jack Isaacs Editor/Point of Contact: Katie Chapiesky, kchapiesky@ wlf.la.gov 1 Table of Contents LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7 INTRODUCTION 8 Definition of Management Unit 8 Management Authority and Process 8 Management Goals and Objectives 8 DESCRIPTION OF THE STOCK 9 Biological Profile 9 Physical Description 9 Distribution 9 Habitat 10 Reproduction 10 Age and Growth 10 Predator-Prey Relationships 10 Stock Status and Assessment Methods 11 Stock Unit Definition 11 Current Stock Assessment 11 Reference Points 12 Harvest Control Rules 12 Oyster Monitoring and Assessment Methods 13 Stock Resilience 15 DESCRIPTION OF THE FISHERY 17 Data Collection and Analyses 17 Commercial Fishery 18 Volume and Value of Landings 18 Landings by Season 20 Landings by Gear Type 20 Landings by Vessel Length 23 Landings by Area 24 Seed Harvest 25 Commercial Oystermen 27 2 Fishing Effort 27 Seafood Dealers 30 Fresh Products Licenseholders 31 Oyster Processors 31 Oyster Imports 33 Recreational Fishery 36 Economic Conditions 37 Interactions with Other Fisheries or User Groups 37 ECOSYSTEM CONSIDERATIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS 38 Ecosystem Considerations 38 Habitat 38 Bycatch and Discards 40 Lost or Abandoned Fishing Gear 40 Environmental Factors 41 Hydrological Conditions 41 Invasive Species 41 Predation 41 Competition from Other Species 42 Diseases and Parasites 42 Climate and Weather 42 Ocean Acidification 42 Other Fisheries and Aquaculture 42 Habitat Loss and Restoration 42 Freshwater Diversions 43 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill 43 FISHERY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM 44 Management Framework 44 Authorities 45 Louisiana 45 Regional 47 Existing Management Measures 48 3 Table of Contents Plans 48 General Management Process 48 Statutes and Rules 50 Other 54 Compliance 56 Reporting Methods and Requirements 56 Recordkeeping Requirements 57 Enforcement 57 Penalties 57 Other States’ Oyster Rules and Regulations 57 CURRENT ISSUES AND MANAGEMENT OPTIONS 58 Degradation of Habitat on Public Oyster Areas 58 Decline in Oyster Abundance on Public Oyster Areas 59 Coastal Restoration, Flood Control, and Freshwater Diversion Projects 60 Water Quality 60 Strengthening and Supporting Enforcement Capabilities 61 FUTURE RESEARCH AND DATA NEEDS 62 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 65 LITERATURE CITED 66 APPENDICES 70 Appendix I. 2014 Oyster Stock Assessment Report 70 Appendix II. History of Cultch Plants on Louisiana’s Public Water Bottoms 173 Appendix III. Louisiana Revised Statutes 56:638.1-5. Fish Conservation, Management, and Sustainability: Intent, Findings, Purpose, Policy, and Fishery Standards 177 Appendix IV. Louisiana Legislative Process 179 Appendix V. Authorities of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission 181 Appendix VI. Authorities of the Secretary, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries 183 Appendix VII. Louisiana’s Compliance with Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Oyster Fishery Management Recommendations 186 Appendix VIII. Federal Management Institutions 188 Appendix IX. Federal Laws, Regulations, and Policies 191 Appendix X. Commercial and Recreational Oyster Regulations—Detailed Text 194 Appendix XI. Chronology of Major Changes to Louisiana’s Oyster Regulations 208 Appendix XII. Penalties for Regulatory Violations 211 Appendix XIII. Summary of Other States’ Commercial Oyster Regulations 213 4 List of Tables and Figures Tables Table 1. Statewide quadrat sampling program summary for 2015. 13 Table 2. Statewide dredge sampling program summary for 2015. 14 Table 3: FAO proposed guideline for indices of productivity for exploited aquatic species. 16 Table 4. Volume and real value of oyster landings by region, 2000-2014. 19 Table 5. Volume and real value of Eastern oyster landings by region and Gulf state, 2000-2014. 21 Table 6. Average monthly volume and real value of Louisiana oyster landings, 2000-2014. 22 Table 7. Volume of Louisiana oyster landings by gear type, 2000-2014. 22 Table 8. Percentage of total volume of oysters landed by vessel category, 2000-2014. 23 Table 9. Volume, real value, and price per pound of Louisiana oyster landings, public vs. private oyster areas, 25 2000-2014. Table 10. Average volume, real value, and price per pound of Louisiana oyster landings by major estuarine basin, 25 2000-2014. Table 11. Volume of Louisiana oyster landings by major estuarine basin, 2000-2014. 26 Table 12. Volume of seed harvest by CSA, 2000-2014. 26 Table 13. Number of commercial fishermen with resident and nonresident oyster harvester licenses and number 28 reporting oyster landings in Louisiana, 2000-2014. Table 14. Number of commercial oyster gear licenses issued by LDWF, 2000-2014. 29 Table 15. Number of commercial fishing trips reporting oyster landings in Louisiana, total and public vs. private 29 oyster areas, 2000-2014. Table 16. Length of commercial fishing trips reporting oyster landings in Louisiana, 2000-2014. 30 Table 17. Average volume of oysters landed per commercial oyster harvesting trip, total and public vs. private oyster 30 areas, 2000-2014. Table 18. Number of licensed Louisiana seafood dealers reporting oyster transactions, 2000-2014. 31 Table 19. Total volume and value of oysters purchased, by dealer license type, 2000-2014. 32 Table 20. Number of Louisiana fresh products licenseholders and their retail oyster sales by total volume and value, 2000-2014. 32 Table 21. Volume and real value of oyster products reported as processed in Louisiana, 2000-2013. 32 Table 22. Volume and real value of total U.S. oyster imports, 2000-2014. 34 Table 23. Number of resident and nonresident recreational oyster tong licenses issued by LDWF, 2000-2014. 36 Figures Figure 1. Map of Louisiana’s public and private oyster areas. 11 5 List of Tables and Figures Figure 2. Map of Louisiana’s CSAs. 13 Figure 3. Average volume of oyster landings by region, 2000-2014. 19 Figure 4. Real value of oyster landings by region, 2000-2014. 19 Figure 5. Volume of imported oyster products by product form, 2000-2014. 34 Figure 6. Real value of imported oyster products by product form, 2000-2014. 34 Figure 7. Top source countries for U.S. imports of farmed and wild live, fresh, frozen, dried, salted, or brine 35 oysters by volume, 2000-2014. Figure 8. Top source countries for U.S. imports of farmed and wild live, fresh, frozen, dried, salted, or brine 35 oysters by value, 2000-2014. Figure 9. Volume of oyster products imported into the United States by U.S. region, 2000-2014. 35 Figure 10. Real value of oyster products imported into the United States by U.S. region, 2000-2014. 36 6 Folio Executive Summary Oysters thrive in Louisiana’s estuaries and provide important socioeconomic and ecological value to the state. They have been harvested commercially in Louisiana since the mid 1800s and continue to be the foundation of one of the state’s most important seafood industries. Today, Louisiana’s oyster resource supports the fifth largest fishery (by volume) and fourth most valuable fishery in the state. Louisiana is the top harvester of oysters in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) and has led the United States in oyster landings every year since 2000. Louisiana also benefits from the ecological services oysters provide, including habitat for a variety of fish and invertebrates, shoreline stabilization, and improved water quality. SHUCKED OYstERS AND SHELLS. In general, oysters in Louisiana are a productive and resilient natural resource, which is a result of the stock’s large spatial distribution, fast growth, and high fecundity. This fishery management plan creates a centralized document that summarizes current information about the biology and status of the oyster resource in Louisiana, Louisiana’s commercial and recreational fisheries for oyster, effects of Louisiana’s oyster fishery on the ecosystem, and environmental influences on Louisiana’s oyster resource. In addition, this plan describes management approaches within the state and regional framework, defines long-term management goals and objectives, identifies management issues, recommends options to address these issues, and outlines future research needs. CLOSEUP OF AN OYstER. 7 Introduction Definition of Management Unit 1. Develop and adopt reference points for fishing mortality and population abundance that incorporate The management unit consists of the Eastern (American) habitat maintenance, and determine the status of the oyster (Crassostrea virginica) and its fisheries on natural oyster stock and fishery according to these habitat- and artificially constructed hard-bottom habitat in the based reference points. nearshore estuarine environment along the coast of Louisiana. 2. Prevent overfishing and rebuild depleted populations. Management Authority and Process 3. Maintain an ecologically successful and reproductively stable population of oysters within The Louisiana State Legislature (Legislature), the each major estuarine basin of the state where oyster Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission resources currently exist. (Commission), and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife 4. Define and achieve a level of fishing capacity that and Fisheries (LDWF) are responsible for managing the provides for a sustainable harvest and allows for a oyster fishery in Louisiana’s state waters, which extend profitable fishery. seaward from the shoreline to 9 nautical miles. 5. Minimize conflicts among user groups, when Louisiana