White Shrimp Season To Open Aug. 22nd

The Louisiana Commission of Wildlife and Fisheries has voted to open the fall shrimp season for Louisiana on Aug. 22 at 6 a.m.

The fall season, when big plump white shrimp are caught, is the most important shrimp harvest for Louisiana fishermen and generally runs until the Christmas period.

The commission on Thursday set the season based on recommendations by state biologists and comments from the public.

There are a few places on the coast — Bay Jimmy, Grand Terre Island and portions of the Mississippi River's bird's foot delta — that remain closed due to the BP oil spill.

Preliminary data shows that about 26.5 million pounds of shrimp were caught in Louisiana from January 2011 through June 2011.