NUTRIA INCENTIVE PAYMENT RAISED TO $5 PER NUTRIA TAIL

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Coastwide Nutria Control Program (CNCP) has increased the incentive payment per nutria tail by a dollar to $5 for this upcoming 2006-07 trapping season.  This year's trapping season is tentatively scheduled from Nov. 20, 2006 to March 31, 2007.

With incentives beginning during the 2002-03 trapping season, the CNCP planned to have the incentive keep up with inflation and to encourage continued support of the program as nutria populations decreased.  With the steady increase in fuel costs since August, 2005 and the displacement of many nutria trappers by the 2005 hurricanes, the cost of harvesting nutria for the 2006-07 season will certainly increase, which warranted the increase in the incentive payment.

The goal of the program, funded by the Coastal Wetlands Planning Protection and Restoration Act, is to reduce or eliminate damage to Louisiana's wetlands caused by nutria by increasing the annual harvest to 400,000 nutria.

Last year 216 trappers harvested 168,843 nutria, which was down from the 297,535 nutria that were taken during the 2004-05 season.   

For more information, contact Edmond Mouton at 337-373-0032 or emouton@wlf.louisiana.gov.
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