BATON ROUGE – The opening dates of the 2002 Louisiana spring shrimp season were announced Thursday at a meeting of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.

The declaration of emergency which established the season opening dates followed a presentation of the latest biological and hydrological data compiled by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Marine Fisheries Division and public comment from shrimpers and other concerned citizens.

Louisiana inshore shrimp seasons will open at 6 a.m. on May 27 in Zone 1 except the open waters of Breton and Chandeleur Sounds as described in the menhaden rule, which shall open at 6 a.m. on May 16.

Zone 2 will open at 6 a.m. on May 16 and Zone III on May 27 at 6 a.m..

Shrimp Management Zone 1 includes inshore waters from the Mississippi state line to the eastern shore of South Pass of the Mississippi River.

Zone 2 includes inshore waters from the eastern shore of South Pass of the Mississippi River to the western shore of Vermilion Bay and Southwest Pass at Marsh Island. Zone 3 includes inshore waters from the western shore of Vermilion Bay and Southwest Pass at Marsh Island to the Texas state line.

The commission also opened the closed portion of Louisiana offshore territorial waters from the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel at Eugene Island as delineated by the river channel buoy line westward to the eastern shore of Freshwater Bayou at 6 a.m. on May 16.

LDWF Secretary James H. Jenkins was given authority to close the season when biological and technical data indicate that significant numbers of small white shrimp begin recruiting into inshore waters or if law enforcement problems develop.

Development of LDWF management recommendations for spring inshore opening dates utilize criteria which project the date when a minimum of 50 percent of the inshore brown shrimp population reaches a size of 100 count (per pound) or larger.

A series of late cool fronts extending into early April have influenced recruitment of brown shrimp post-larvae. However, high tidal ranges, followed by rapid increases in coastal water temperatures beginning in mid-April have favorably influenced shrimp growth and survival this spring, according to Jenkins.