HLS 23RS-349 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 132
BY REPRESENTATIVE BROWN
WILDLIFE & FISHERIES: Directs the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to increase
the number of tags available for commercial alligator hunting, reinstate the bonus tag
program, and increase opportunities for recreational alligator hunting
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To direct the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to increase the number of tags issued for
3 commercial alligator hunting, to reinstate the bonus tag program, and to increase
4 opportunities for recreational alligator hunting.
5 WHEREAS, in 1967 the American alligator was listed as an endangered species
6under federal law; and
7 WHEREAS, in the 1970's the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries began
8implementing conservation measures to increase the alligator population in this state; and
9 WHEREAS, there were under seven thousand alligator nests in coastal marsh
10habitats in this state in the 1970's, but through conservation efforts that number had risen to
11nearly sixty-five thousand by 2021; and
12 WHEREAS, the wild population of alligators has grown from less than one hundred
13thousand to over two million in the last fifty years; and
14 WHEREAS, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries must be recognized
15and commended for their outstanding work to restore this species in what has been called
16one of the greatest conservation stories in the United States; and
17 WHEREAS, today Louisiana has an estimated population of over two million wild
18alligators and another one million farm-raised alligators; and
19 WHEREAS, by comparison, Florida has an estimated population of one million three
20hundred thousand alligators, just over one third of the population in Louisiana; and
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HCR NO. 132
1 WHEREAS, the population of wild alligators in the state has recovered so well that
2they are now becoming a problem; and
3 WHEREAS, more nuisance alligators are being reported in residential areas than ever
4before; and
5 WHEREAS, commercial fishermen are experiencing increasing damage to their
6traps, nets, and other gear from alligators; and
7 WHEREAS, the conservation measures put in place many years ago to help restore
8a healthy population must now be reduced in order to protect Louisiana citizens and
9fishermen; and
10 WHEREAS, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries issues a limited number of
11tags each year based on the acreage of the property with which the tags are associated; and
12 WHEREAS, while the tags should still be issued for the purposes of the Convention
13on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the department
14should modify the formula used to calculate the number of tags issued for individual
15properties so that many more tags can be issued for commercial hunting; and
16 WHEREAS, from 1999 to 2009 the state operated a bonus tag program for hunters
17that inadvertently caught alligators six feet and under; and
18 WHEREAS, the program was suspended after several natural disasters adversely
19impacted alligator nesting; and
20 WHEREAS, the bonus tag program should be reinstated as it would help commercial
21alligator hunters and serve as an additional population control measure; and
22 WHEREAS, currently recreational alligator hunting is only available for those who
23obtain a sport fisherman license and accompany a commercial alligator hunter or guide; and
24 WHEREAS, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries should explore ways to
25increase opportunities for recreational alligator hunting as an additional measure to control
26the population.
27 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
28direct the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to increase the number of tags available for
29commercial alligator hunters.
30 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries shall
31reinstate the bonus tag program for alligators six feet and under.
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HCR NO. 132
1 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries shall
2increase opportunities for recreational alligator hunting.
3 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alligator Advisory Council shall make
4recommendations to the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission and the Department of Wildlife
5and Fisheries on the best ways to accomplish these goals.
6 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission shall
7promulgate any rules necessary to accomplish these goals.
8 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
9secretary of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the chairman of the Wildlife and
10Fisheries Commission, and the chairman and the program manager of the Alligator Advisory
11Council.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 132 Original 2023 Regular Session Brown
Directs the Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries to increase the number of tags available for
commercial alligator hunting, reinstate the bonus tag program, and increase opportunities
for recreational alligator hunting.
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