calcasieu lake and oyster task force

[mstulb]

Completely agree, some of these reefs in westcove were so thick with oysters it was like concrete. We wade these reefs & flats and there exactly how Boat Driver explained barren hard bottom. No oyster growth there sine last spring.



QUOTE=boatdriver;229139]FFF...I am out there everyday, literally. I am a guide on the lake and talk to several of the oysterman on a regular basis. One of them is a guy a little younger than me. This guy has done this with his dad and uncles for years. He has tod me that they are raping the lake. Last year, oyster boats were bringing in over 1000, yes, this is accurate, 1000 sacks of oysters a day. This was from both Cameron and Hackberry seafood buyers. Now, with no reseeding, as in the east, how in the hell is an oyster supposed to have time grow. It takes an oyster 3 years to become mature enough to harvest for the 3" minimum in Big Lake. I asked my buddy if there are any "humps" left in the lake anymore, his response was probably not. While I know he has to make a living, there should still be some better management practices. Like Raymond said, it's the state's mentallity, to get as much as you can. A game warden friend of our lodge was telling us they were ticketing boats that were going back 2 or 3 times a day. It was worth it to the oysterman to pay the fine because they could afford to pay it with the profits of their 2 to 3 loads a day. The same guy would own 2 or more boats and just use those different tags. My buddy also suggested strongly that tonging should be and probabaly will be the way to do it next year. THe base of the reefs are there, but they are flat and barren. You can drag a leadhead across some of those reefs and not lose it.

BD[/QUOTE]

[specktator]

Why do I only see them in west cove mostly?

["W"]

FFF east seed oyster beds....we don't! East has thousands of oyster beds to cover we don't! We have from old tank batteries south to old jetties then all of west cove...which is a small area and a big number of boats oystering same reefs everyday...how can they grow when you rape them to the mud line every year

[yak'em-n-stack'em]

I told y'all when all the oil spill stuff was going on over here y'all were gonna complain about the oysters.

[Duck Butter]

There is a fella on here that works directly with oyster research and LDWF, I would like to hear his take on this and oyster biology in general.

[Finfeatherfur]

Originally Posted by Duck Butter

There is a fella on here that works directly with oyster research and LDWF, I would like to hear his take on this and oyster biology in general.

Please do what you can to have him chime in on this topic!!!!! Oyster boats harvesting oysters does not automatically mean the lake is getting "raped"!

[Duck Butter]

Originally Posted by Finfeatherfur

Please do what you can to have him chime in on this topic!!!!! Oyster boats harvesting oysters does not automatically mean the lake is getting "raped"!

Ol Mutt Mechanic is he, maybe he will chime in.

http://www.saltycajun.com/forum/show...t=16465&page=5

Good discussion

[jchief]

FFF, I agree 100% that harvesting "some" helps, but why do they have to open it further north if the reefs "supposedly" regrow quickly?

I whole heartedly believe the dredges and the way they are operating now will severly harm the estuary. There are more licenses being issued every year. Where does it stop?

["W"]

Here is a map of the fire line........Is not exact but this is what I can tell from the Pipes placed now....

here is the major Oyster beds we have in the area....

and I have counted at least 50 boats working this area everyday of the season...

And we do not re seed oysters as we have natural beds....

Yes you can rape them and over harvest!

[cajunhntr03]

No longer the lines The oyster boats have been allowed to move north Kiss Commisary goodbye Some harvesting is good but when you overharvest an area its not gunna be good for the longterm outlook for that reef

["W"]

Originally Posted by cajunhntr03

No longer the lines The oyster boats have been allowed to move north Kiss Commisary goodbye Some harvesting is good but when you overharvest an area its not gunna be good for the longterm outlook for that reef

They cant oyster Commissary

[Asterisk-Rich]

Originally Posted by "W"

They cant oyster Commissary

you think you can get FFF a job at NASA?

[boatdriver]

Originally Posted by "W"

They cant oyster Commissary

Pretty sure they can.

[Finfeatherfur]

So instead of fighting the oyster lease holders, why don't we focus the attention where it needs to be placed? If the beds are not re-seeded in Big Lake, but they are elsewhere - why is that?

I depart Bayou Dularge on any given morning to witness a hundred oyster boats staffed by hispanics with no regard for our resources. I return to see them sitting at the dock, throwing trash in the water, and doing things to our waterways you can not imagine. The state does a good job of monitoring their harvest on my end down there, but the enforcement of their other issues sucks.

[Gerald]

Here is a picture of 2 oyster boats in the south end of Big Lake back in Apr. 2010.

I rode around the south part of the lake and into West Cove that day. I must have seen 30 or 40 oyster boats. There was steady boat traffic of them going back to Cameron and other boats return to the lake.

I caught no fish in that area.......water was muddy from the dredging.

[Paul Constance]

Its my understanding that there is research supporting and condeming dredging. I personally see the reefs in the Washout area disappearing and the water clarity getting worse. I see the reefs in Westcove getting raped as well. I do however think that there has to be a happy medium as the oyster fishermen need to make a living also. I like the idea of rotating between dredging and tonging. Dredge 1 year and tong for 3. We also need to look back at the reason Sabine was shut to oystering. Just my opinion and we know what opinions are like.

["W"]

We need to send him our thoughts on the Oyster Process in Big Lake

Lt. Colonel Keith LaCaze klacaze@wlf.louisiana.gov.

[mstulb]

Originally Posted by W";229334]We need to send him our thoughts on the Oyster Process in Big Lake

Lt. Colonel Keith LaCaze [EMAIL="klacaze@wlf.louisiana.gov.

klacaze@wlf.louisiana.gov.[/EMAIL]

Sent W thanks for the info

[ckinchen]

Originally Posted by W";229334]We need to send him our thoughts on the Oyster Process in Big Lake

Lt. Colonel Keith LaCaze [EMAIL="klacaze@wlf.louisiana.gov.

klacaze@wlf.louisiana.gov.[/EMAIL]

Thanks, I will contact Keith in the morning and I will post his response if he does in fact respond. Power is in numbers,everyone please let your voice be heard.

[jchief]

Can someone post the article here for everyone to see please?

I don't have an e subscription