President Ben Bulis issued the following statement regarding the Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) Application for State Management Pilot Project by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries(LDWF):
Last week, LWDF proposed an innovative pilot program to test a new approach to management of Gulf red snapper. The program, if approved, will run for two years and allow for recreational anglers to test drive the La Creel data collection program with improved electronic reporting. Anglers have asked for better data, flexible access, more state management, and relief from short federal-water access. The EFP’s mandatory reporting and ability for participating anglers to fish federal waters during the open Louisiana state-water seasons, while providing real-time data plus state control of opening and closings is exactly what private recreational anglers have been demanding. While this pilot project is focused on red snapper, if successful, it will provide a benchmark for other fisheries across the country.
“We applaud Governor Edwards and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fish (LDWF) for showing strong leadership for recreational fisherman by submitting this EFP application which will allow for testing of an innovative approach to angler access to the fishery.”
“The state of Louisiana should be commended for thinking outside the box. The recreational fishery needs solutions to the short seasons. Louisiana’s EFP is an excellent way to test the viability of bringing 21st Century technology into the fishery.”
“Louisiana’s La Creel and this EFP, taken in combination, helps the state of Louisiana be a leader in finding solutions to a very complex problem, which we believe, takes into consideration the flexible access anglers need to get more days on the water. This EFP, if deemed a successful management tool, has the ability to be used in Steelhead, Salmon and many other iconic fish species.”
Information on Louisiana’s Program is available here.
Contact: Ben Bulis, [email protected], (406) 580-6887
