Molluscan Shellfish News

Oysters in Lake Borgne and the Mississippi Sound (known as harvest areas 1 and 2) can now be transplanted to other waters. The State of Louisiana is taking this emergency action to protect oyster reefs from freshwater intrusion following the opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway.

The Louisiana Department of Health will reopen New Orleans-area oyster growing waters, Areas 1-13, effective 30 minutes before sunrise on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017. The areas had previously been closed as a precaution due to adverse weather conditions from Tropical System Nate.

The Louisiana Department of Health will close New Orleans-area molluscan shellfish growing waters, Areas 1-13, effective at sunset on Friday, Oct. 6, 2017. This is a precautionary closure due to the adverse weather conditions from Tropical System Nate.

The Louisiana Department of Health will reopen all molluscan shellfish growing waters, Areas 1-28, effective 30 minutes before sunrise on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017. The areas had previously been closed as a precaution due to adverse weather conditions from Tropical Storm Harvey.

The Louisiana Department of Health will close all molluscan shellfish growing waters, Areas 1-28, effective at sunset on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017. This is a precautionary closure due to the adverse weather conditions from Tropical Storm Harvey.

The Louisiana Department of Health will reopen molluscan shellfish growing areas 26, 27 and 28, located in Vermillion and Iberia Parishes, thirty minutes before sunrise Friday, Aug. 26, 2016.

The Louisiana Department of Health will close molluscan shellfish growing areas 26, 27 and 28, located in Vermillion and Iberia Parishes, effective at sunset on Friday, Aug. 19, 2016. This is a precautionary closure due to potential heightened bacteria levels from recent flooding.

The Louisiana Department of Health will reopen Molluscan Shellfish Growing Area 11, located in Plaquemines Parish along the Gulf of Mexico at sunrise, Saturday, August 6, 2016.

The Louisiana Department of Health will close molluscan shellfish growing area 11, located in Plaquemines Parish along the Gulf of Mexico, effective at sunset on Friday, July 29, 2016. This is a precautionary closure due to paralytic shellfish poisoning, a serious illness caused by eating shellfish contaminated with harmful toxins, in the area.

As part of an initiative by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to provide additional harvest opportunities for the Louisiana oyster industry, licensed Louisiana oyster harvesters will be permitted to move oysters from the public oyster seed grounds located in Lake Borgne and Mississippi Sound (DHH harvest areas 1 and 2) in early April and transplant them to their private leases for later harvest. This program is for the purpose of moving live oyster resource from restricted areas of the public oyster seed grounds to private leases.