Sewage Disposal on Shellfish Vessels
Vessels without an LDHH-approved sewerage system must have waste
receptacles with tight fitting lids, labeled “FOR HUMAN WASTE ONLY” with letters
at least 1-1/2 inches tall, and with a capacity of at least 2 gallons per person
on the vessel. You must dispose of the contents of such receptacles through a
municipal sewer system, incineration, or burial in the ground.
Oyster Harvest Tags
If you take oysters from Louisiana state waters for sale, you must identify sacks
and other packing containers used to hold in-shell oysters with official oyster
harvest tags purchased from LDWF. The color of the tag depends on the intended
use of the oysters (white for raw consumption in and outside of Louisiana, pink
for raw consumption only in Louisiana, or green for shucking or post-harvest
processing). Tags are identified with and traceable to your license.
You must complete all information on the tag, including:
• Dealer’s name, address, certification number assigned by LDHH and the
original oyster shipper’s number, if different
• Harvester’s identification number assigned by LDWF
• Date and area of harvest
• Type and quantity of oysters.
If you sack or package oysters on your vessel, you must tag them prior to
removing them from the vessel. If you sack or package oysters at the dock, you
must tag them immediately upon arriving at the dock prior to shipping them. If
you harvest from more than one area on a given day, you must sack or package
and tag the oysters from one area before moving on to the next.
Dealers must keep oyster harvest tags affixed to each container of in-shell
oysters until the container is shipped or emptied for washing, grading, or packing.
Dealers must retain all tags for at least 90 days.
It is illegal to possess untagged sacks or containers of oysters (other than on
board the vessel or at the dock prior to shipment)—untagged or improperly
tagged sacks or containers will be considered to have been taken from polluted
waters, deemed a health hazard, and seized and destroyed. You may not sell for
resale untagged sacks or containers of oysters.
General Refrigeration Requirements
You must place all harvested in-shell oysters under mechanical refrigeration at
an air temperature of 45
o
F or less (measured 12 inches from the blower). Oysters
must be refrigerated within two hours of being offloaded from the harvest vessel
onto the dock. Total harvest to refrigeration time must not exceed the time/
temperature requirements specified on page 21. If you offload oysters from the
harvest vessel to an oyster cargo vessel, oysters must be refrigerated within the
times specified on page 21.
In-shell oysters must be maintained at or below 45
o
F throughout all levels of
commerce. You must meet additional refrigeration requirements (see page 21),
depending on the oysters’ intended use (raw consumption, processing, etc.).
Any oysters that do not meet refrigeration requirements may not be used for raw
consumption; only certified dealers may use them for shucking or post-harvest
processing.
Time/Temperature Log Sheet
Both the harvester and the first certified dealer must complete time/temperature
log sheets to document compliance with refrigeration requirements. Harvesters
and dealers must maintain the log sheets for one year (two years for frozen
oysters) and make them available for inspection by LDHH, LDWF, and the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Harvesters must keep log sheets for the
current and previous 15 days aboard their vessel. (Exception: Time/temperature
log sheets are not required for harvest in the West Cove Conditional Management
Area or the Lower Calcasieu Lake Conditional Management Area, both located in
Cameron Parish.)
Harvester instructions: Before harvesting oysters, legibly document the following:
• Your boat name/number
• Your name and harvester license number
• Harvest area/lease number
• Time harvesting begins
• Whether oysters will be bedded, shucked, relayed, or other (explain)
• Your signature and date.
After harvesting oysters and prior to leaving the harvest area, record the time
harvesting ended and the total number of sacks harvested. If you declare sacks of
oysters for shucking and half-shell, distinguish those oysters from each other by
placing the appropriate tag on the sack prior to leaving the harvesting area.
Certified dealer instructions: Legibly
document the following:
•
Temperature of the cooler where
oysters are being stored when they
begin to be offloaded from the
harvesting vessel
• Time and temperature of the cooler
when the last sack or container of
oysters is removed from the harvest
vessel and placed in the cooler.
Make this entry immediately upon
removal of the sack/container from
the vessel.
• Your signature and date.
Louisiana is
1st
in Eastern oyster production,
not only in the Gulf of Mexico
but also in the entire
United States.
20
87
Vessels without an LDHH-approved sewerage system must have waste
receptacles with tight fitting lids, labeled “FOR HUMAN WASTE ONLY” with letters
at least 1-1/2 inches tall, and with a capacity of at least 2 gallons per person
on the vessel. You must dispose of the contents of such receptacles through a
municipal sewer system, incineration, or burial in the ground.
Oyster Harvest Tags
If you take oysters from Louisiana state waters for sale, you must identify sacks
and other packing containers used to hold in-shell oysters with official oyster
harvest tags purchased from LDWF. The color of the tag depends on the intended
use of the oysters (white for raw consumption in and outside of Louisiana, pink
for raw consumption only in Louisiana, or green for shucking or post-harvest
processing). Tags are identified with and traceable to your license.
You must complete all information on the tag, including:
• Dealer’s name, address, certification number assigned by LDHH and the
original oyster shipper’s number, if different
• Harvester’s identification number assigned by LDWF
• Date and area of harvest
• Type and quantity of oysters.
If you sack or package oysters on your vessel, you must tag them prior to
removing them from the vessel. If you sack or package oysters at the dock, you
must tag them immediately upon arriving at the dock prior to shipping them. If
you harvest from more than one area on a given day, you must sack or package
and tag the oysters from one area before moving on to the next.
Dealers must keep oyster harvest tags affixed to each container of in-shell
oysters until the container is shipped or emptied for washing, grading, or packing.
Dealers must retain all tags for at least 90 days.
It is illegal to possess untagged sacks or containers of oysters (other than on
board the vessel or at the dock prior to shipment)—untagged or improperly
tagged sacks or containers will be considered to have been taken from polluted
waters, deemed a health hazard, and seized and destroyed. You may not sell for
resale untagged sacks or containers of oysters.
General Refrigeration Requirements
You must place all harvested in-shell oysters under mechanical refrigeration at
an air temperature of 45
o
F or less (measured 12 inches from the blower). Oysters
must be refrigerated within two hours of being offloaded from the harvest vessel
onto the dock. Total harvest to refrigeration time must not exceed the time/
temperature requirements specified on page 21. If you offload oysters from the
harvest vessel to an oyster cargo vessel, oysters must be refrigerated within the
times specified on page 21.
In-shell oysters must be maintained at or below 45
o
F throughout all levels of
commerce. You must meet additional refrigeration requirements (see page 21),
depending on the oysters’ intended use (raw consumption, processing, etc.).
Any oysters that do not meet refrigeration requirements may not be used for raw
consumption; only certified dealers may use them for shucking or post-harvest
processing.
Time/Temperature Log Sheet
Both the harvester and the first certified dealer must complete time/temperature
log sheets to document compliance with refrigeration requirements. Harvesters
and dealers must maintain the log sheets for one year (two years for frozen
oysters) and make them available for inspection by LDHH, LDWF, and the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Harvesters must keep log sheets for the
current and previous 15 days aboard their vessel. (Exception: Time/temperature
log sheets are not required for harvest in the West Cove Conditional Management
Area or the Lower Calcasieu Lake Conditional Management Area, both located in
Cameron Parish.)
Harvester instructions: Before harvesting oysters, legibly document the following:
• Your boat name/number
• Your name and harvester license number
• Harvest area/lease number
• Time harvesting begins
• Whether oysters will be bedded, shucked, relayed, or other (explain)
• Your signature and date.
After harvesting oysters and prior to leaving the harvest area, record the time
harvesting ended and the total number of sacks harvested. If you declare sacks of
oysters for shucking and half-shell, distinguish those oysters from each other by
placing the appropriate tag on the sack prior to leaving the harvesting area.
Certified dealer instructions: Legibly
document the following:
•
Temperature of the cooler where
oysters are being stored when they
begin to be offloaded from the
harvesting vessel
• Time and temperature of the cooler
when the last sack or container of
oysters is removed from the harvest
vessel and placed in the cooler.
Make this entry immediately upon
removal of the sack/container from
the vessel.
• Your signature and date.
Louisiana is
1st
in Eastern oyster production,
not only in the Gulf of Mexico
but also in the entire
United States.
20
87