Title 56, Wildlife and Fisheries

§324. Menhaden seines; restrictions Anyone legally taking menhaden shall not have in their possession more than five percent, by weight, of any species of fish other than menhaden and herring-like species. Added by Acts 1979, No. 593, §1. Amended by Acts 1981, No. 838, §1; Acts 1…

§325. Daily take, possession, and size limits; freshwater recreational fish; possession of finfish filets prohibited A. No person shall take in any one day more than the following of each species of fish, of the designated size where specified: (1) Black bass (Micropterus spp.), …

§325.1. Size and possession limits; recreational saltwater finfish; penalties A.(1) The Wildlife and Fisheries Commission may set by rule, in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, daily take, and possession, and size limits for saltwater finfish caught recreationally …

§325.2. Saltwater recreational finfish; total length A. Except as provided elsewhere in this Section, all saltwater recreational finfish shall have the head and caudal fin intact until set or put on shore. All saltwater recreational finfish shall be measured in accordance with ap…

§325.3. Spotted sea trout commercial taking; annual quota; red drum commercial taking, possession, or landing prohibited A.(1) The commission shall establish a maximum annual quota for the commercial harvest of spotted sea trout taken within Louisiana waters or landed in Louisian…

§325.4. Commercial taking of other saltwater finfish; exceptions; mesh size A. During the 1995-1996 and the 1996-1997 season for taking mullet and the two seasons for taking spotted sea trout as defined in R.S. 56:325.3(C), all other species of saltwater finfish, including but no…

§325.5. Commercial menhaden harvest reporting A. The commission shall promulgate rules and regulations, in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, that require companies taking menhaden by vessels equipped with purse seines for the purpose of reduction fishing to report…

§325.6. Bait gulf menhaden; annual quota after regular closed season A. The Louisiana Legislature finds and declares there is great financial hardship imposed upon Louisiana crawfish, blue crab, and catfish fishermen because of insufficient supplies of bait during the winter seas…

§326. Size and possession limits; commercial fish A. The following are the legal size limits on commercial fish. No person shall take or possess these fish under or over the prescribed sizes for commercial purposes. Fish of the prescribed legal size may be taken, had in possessio…

§326.1. Size limits set by commission The commission shall have the authority to set, by rule in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, size limits for all freshwater and saltwater fish for which no limits have been set by law. Acts 1986, No. 492, §1; Acts 2008, No. 23…

§326.2. Vessels landing red drum; notice to department; equipment; inspection Any vessel engaged in commercial fishing in the Federal Fishery Conservation Zone and landing red drum in Louisiana shall be equipped with a functioning transponder aboard, shall permit on board inspect…

§326.3. Possession limits; size limits, seasons, quotas, times, and daily take limits, set by commission; penalties Subject to the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act and specifically R.S. 49:966 and R.S. 56:325.3, the commission may set possession limits, quotas, plac…

§326.4. Staggered and split seasons and quotas A. The legislature finds that Louisiana has a national reputation for serving unique and high quality seafood dishes, and that the availability of fresh popular fish to serve in Louisiana restaurants is important to the vitality of o…

§326.5. Bowfin; size limitations; eggs A. It is the purpose of this Section to promote the conservation and sustained yield management of bowfin (commonly known as choupique, grinnel, grindle, or cypress trout). The legislature finds that the taking of bowfin, particularly female…

§326.6. Closed season; bowfin A. The commercial taking of bowfin (Amia calva) or bowfin body parts including eggs (roe) with nets is prohibited during the months of December, January, and February. However, the provisions of this Section shall not apply to the taking of bowfin or…

§327. Sale or purchase of freshwater or saltwater game fish prohibited; commercial sales and purchases, commercial license required; commercial fingerlings and certified mariculture and aquaculture fish excepted; penalties A.(1) No person shall purchase, sell, exchange, or offer …

§328. Conducting fishing operations so as not to destroy nests or natural hiding places of young fish; prohibited importation; control and regulation of noxious aquatic plants; permit; penalty A. All fishing operations shall be conducted in such a way that nests of fish or the na…

§329. Obstruction of streams or lakes by fyke nets or other devices A. No person shall obstruct the free passage of fish in any of the streams, lakes, bayous, or in any body of water, including crevasses, coulees, and canals in marsh and swamp areas of the state by any means what…

§33. Class three violation The following penalties shall be imposed for a class three violation: (1) For the first offense, the fine shall be not less than two hundred fifty dollars nor more than five hundred dollars, or imprisonment for not more than ninety days, or both; (2) Fo…

§330. Crawfish harvesters; crawfish traps A. Crawfish harvesters shall be subject to the jurisdiction and rules and regulations of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission. B. Crawfish may be taken by properly licensed individua…

§331. Crab Task Force A. There is hereby established the Crab Task Force to advise the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission on matters pertaining to the management and development of the crab industry in Louisiana. B. The Crab Task Force …

§332. Crabs; release of immature female crabs and crabs in berry stage; method of taking crabs; time limitations; by-catch; penalties, abandoned crab trap removal program; escape rings A. Crabs of legal size may be taken using any gear identified in R.S. 56:320(B)(3); however, th…

§332.1. Eel; methods of taking; licensing; marking; violation A.(1) Eel may be taken for commercial purposes using eel pots, as that term is defined in R.S. 56:8, or by other legal means. (2) Possession of a valid commercial fishing license in addition to other applicable commerc…

§333. Mullet; saltwater areas A. Mullet may be taken commercially in the saltwater areas of the state as described in R.S. 56:322(B) and 333(C). The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission shall adopt rules to regulate the taking of mullet. Such regulations, except as provide…

§333.1. Mullet; freshwater areas Mullet may be taken commercially by means of hoop nets in the freshwater areas of the state as described in R.S. 56:322(A). The commission in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act shall adopt rules and regulations to regulate the taking…

§333.3. Live mullet; harvest for bait A. Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S. 56:333 and 333.1, live mullet may be taken commercially in both freshwater and saltwater areas for the exclusive purpose of providing live bait. Mullet may be harvested for such purposes only by cast …

§334.2. Freshwater fishing allowed in designated saltwater areas The saltwater angling license required in R.S. 56:302.1(C) shall not preclude a person from fishing for freshwater species of fish south of the designated saltwater line described in R.S. 56:322(A) or in saltwater l…

§336. Penalty for violation of sport fishing provisions A. Whoever violates any of the sport fishing provisions of this Sub-part for which no penalty has been otherwise specifically provided shall be fined not less than $25 nor more than $100 or be imprisoned for not less than te…

§338. Registration of vessels; application; misstatements; penalties A. Any vessel which shall be licensed or permitted to engage in commercial fishing or freighting operations for shrimp or fish of any species with any type of nets, seines, or traps in Louisiana waters which has…

§339. Transportation of fish to other states; reciprocity On and after March 1, 1951, resident and nonresident persons of Louisiana and foreign corporations are prohibited from seining for and catching menhaden or other species of fish not ordinarily used for human consumption in…

§34. Class four violation A. The following penalties shall be imposed for a class four violation: (1) For the first offense, the fine shall be not less than four hundred dollars nor more than nine hundred fifty dollars or imprisonment for not more than one hundred twenty days, or…

§35. Class five violation The following penalties shall be imposed for a class five violation, for the purpose of the mandatory jail sentence this class shall be divided into two Sections, 5-A and 5-B. A. The fine for class 5-A violation shall be for the first offense not less th…

§355. Penalty provision Penalties for violation of any provision of this Subpart shall be as prescribed in Part II of this Chapter. Violation of any provision of any Section of this Subpart shall constitute a class one violation except where a higher class of violation is specifi…

§36. Class six violation The following penalties shall be imposed for a class six violation. For each offense, the fine shall be not less than nine hundred dollars nor more than nine hundred fifty dollars, or imprisonment for not more than one hundred twenty days, or both, and sh…

§37. Class seven violation A. Class seven shall be divided into 7-A and 7-B violations. (1) The following penalties shall be imposed for a class 7-A violation: For each offense, the fine shall be not less than five thousand dollars nor more than seven thousand five hundred dollar…

§37.1. Class eight violation The following penalties shall be imposed for a class eight violation: For each offense, the fine shall not be less than five thousand dollars nor more than seven thousand dollars and the violator may be imprisoned in jail for not less than sixty days …

§38. Revocation of license A. In addition to all other penalties provided hereunder, whoever violates any provision of this Chapter in accordance with classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 upon conviction, may as otherwise provided in this Chapter have the license under which the violatio…

§39. Forfeiture of quadrupeds, birds, and fish; Fish and Wildlife Violations Reward Fund, creation and use of fund monies A. In addition to all other penalties provided in this Chapter, violators subject to the provisions of R.S. 56:31 through R.S. 56:37.1 or R.S. 14:63(G)(5) sha…

§4. Authority of Department of Conservation and Energy over navigable water bottoms Nothing in this Title and particularly in R.S. 56:3 affects in any way the authority of the Department of Conservation and Energy to lease or otherwise administer the beds and bottoms of navigable…

§40.1. Liability for value of fish, wild birds, wild quadrupeds, and other wildlife and aquatic life A person who kills, catches, takes, possesses, or injures any fish, wild birds, wild quadrupeds, and other wildlife and aquatic life in violation of this Title, or a regulation ad…

§40.2. Value of fish, wild birds, wild quadrupeds, and other wildlife and aquatic life For purposes of this Subpart, the commission shall adopt rules to establish guidelines for determining the value of injured or destroyed fish, wild birds, wild quadrupeds, and other wildlife an…

§40.3. Civil penalties; assessment; administrative hearing A. Whenever the department determines that a violation of R.S. 56:40.1 has occurred, resulting in liability of a person for the value of injured or destroyed wildlife or aquatic life, it shall demand restitution from him …

§40.4. Civil suit for recovery of value The attorney for the department, attorney general, or the district attorney of the parish in which the violation occurred may bring a civil suit under this Subpart in the name of the state to recover civil penalties for the value of each fi…

§40.5. Venue and procedure A. A suit for recovery of civil penalties brought under this Subpart may be brought either in the parish of the defendant's domicile or in the parish in which the violation occurred. B. Either party may appeal from a final judgment of the court as in ot…

§40.6. More than one defendant If more than one defendant is named in a suit or an adjudicatory proceeding brought under this Subpart, each defendant against whom judgment is rendered is jointly and severally liable for the recovery provided by this Subpart. Acts 1988, No. 169, §…

§40.7. Recovery of value in addition to fine A. The penalties and costs provided by this Subpart are in addition to any fine, forfeiture, other penalty, or costs imposed under any other provision of law. B. Failure to pay all amounts assessed in accordance with this Subpart shall…

§40.8. Both civil suit and criminal prosecution permissible; exceptions The pendency or determination of a suit brought under this Subpart or the pendency or determination of a criminal prosecution for the same killing, catching, taking, possession, or injury does not bar the oth…

§40.9. Disposition of recovery A. Any recovery of civil penalties for injury to fish, wild birds, wild quadrupeds, and other wildlife and aquatic life shall be immediately deposited to the Conservation Fund of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and credited to the enforceme…

§401. Commercial seining prohibited in Lake Bruin and other lakes: penalty No person shall seine fish for commercial purposes in Lake Bruin in the parish of Tensas and in the Fool River in the parish of Franklin. The department shall take such steps as necessary to prevent the se…

§402. Commercial fishing in Lake Bruin prohibited; penalty All catching of fish in any manner for commercial purposes in Lake Bruin including that part of the lake called Brushy and the following streams and bayous leading into or out of Lake Bruin: Bruin's Bayou, Choctaw Bayou, …