Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

CCA Louisiana has received a number of inquiries from its members regarding what they describe as harassment from persons who claim to be landowners or leaseholders of marsh areas that have been historically open to fishermen. Some of these reports have centered on the Catfish Lake area near Golden Meadow. These inquiries seem to have originated after enactment of a new state law, which changed the requirement that landowners post their property if they wish to exclude trespassers. In response to these reports, members of the CCA staff initiated a conference call with enforcement officials of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The LDWF informed us that they were aware of the issue, and that they had already made some initial inquiries into the situation. However, the LDWF enforcement officials stressed that the matter involves complex property ownership rights versus the public’s right of access to public lands and that jurisdiction over this matter likely involves other state agencies. Nevertheless, LDWF agreed to accelerate their inquiry into the Catfish Lake situation. With the help of the State Land Office, the agency agreed to attempt to identify the actual landowners and leaseholders in the Catfish Lake area. CCA is committed to the right of the public to have access to public resources. We are also committed to the rule of law and the right to own and lease private property. We are concerned about the potential for safety issues that could result from confrontations in marsh areas. For this reason, we ask all persons to avoid confrontational situations, especially during this time when duck hunters, crabbers and anglers are sharing the same waterways. We are confident that the proper state authorities can resolve the issues that have arisen, and our association is committed to work with them to do so. It would be advisable for persons who believe they were illegally forced from public lands to report all circumstances of such incidents to the sheriff’s department in the respective jurisdiction. These reports should include descriptions of the individuals involved; boat or vehicle identification numbers, and GPS coordinates where possible.

 

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