BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The state Wildlife and Fisheries Commission has voted to open inshore fall shrimp season on Aug. 18.

The agency monitors the growth of larvae and samples the size of the shrimp, factors that play into the decision on when to reopen coastal waters to shrimpers.

Alan Matherne, Louisiana Sea Grant and LSU AgCenter Coastal, Fisheries and Outreach specialist for Terrebonne, Lafourche and Assumption parishes, tells The Courier the opening date is when state biologists project 50 percent of white shrimp will be marketable size, or about 100 per pound.

For waters west of the Atchafalaya River, the season will open at 6 p.m. Waters to the east will open a half hour before sunrise.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

More From News Talk 96.5 KPEL