Louisiana fishing authorities seek to remove restrictions for some shark fishing

State officials seek to remove fishing restrictions for two types of sharks in Louisiana waters.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Commission are collecting public comments on a Notice of Intent they filed to remove restrictions placed on the fishing of Blacktip and Bull Sharks in state waters created in the 80's. The notice was filed in September and can be read here . Public comment will remain open until November 7, and those wishing to comment may email jadriance@wlf.la.gov .

"Some of those stocks have really rebounded and have healthy populations," Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Biologist Jason Adriance said. "So to provide a little more opportunity for our anglers, this is a way to do it."

The current rules state that each fisherman or boat may only catch one, and the shark has to be 54 inches from nose to tail. The change would remove all of these restrictions for recreational fishermen regarding Blacktip and Bull Sharks and increase the commercial limit from 45 to 55 for these sharks. After the public comment period, the Notice of Intent will go to Louisiana Legislators for oversight. If they choose not to act, the Commission could make the change as early as January of next year.

Gulf of Mexico fishermen, both commercial and charter, say these sharks are incredibly abundant. Charter captains say they are a nuisance. Customers don't want the sharks, and they snatch away good catches.

"They are more of a pain-in-the-ass than anything," Houma Charter Captain Stu Scheer said. "They just ruin a lot of baits and they ruin a lot of fishin' is all."

More: Louisiana regulator wants stronger building codes to address property insurance crisis

More: Asteroid that doomed dinosaurs created ant agriculture, Louisiana researchers say

Scheer has been a charter captain since 1971, and he's seen the stock of these two sharks rebound since the 80's. He said they became a problem in the last three to four years, and charter captains can't go out on a trip these days without being harassed by them.

When someone on his boat catches one, they remove the bait from the shark's mouth if it's small and toss it back or just cut the line if it's a large shark. Either way, the gear is either ruined or lost, and he said he's lost as many as 20 to 30 good fish in a single day because the shark will get the fish before it's reeled in.

"A lot of times we'll just come up with the head of a trout," he said.

According to Scheer, the sharks put up a good fight, and their abundance means that if customers wanted them, he could take people out catching them all day, but no one has ever called him to seek them out.

Commercial shark fisherman Acy Cooper said Louisiana has a good, sustainable shark industry. According to Cooper, the number of sharks in the Gulf has increased, and opening the doors to recreational anglers to catch more wouldn't affect his catch.

"I don't care if they catch more. Look the sharks out there is unreal," he said. "They're not going to put a dent in them. I don't care if they catch five of them a piece."

This article originally appeared on The Courier: Louisiana fishing authorities seek to remove restrictions for some shark fishing