BATON ROUGE — After convincing the governor and the Coastal Conservation Association to change their stances on an expanded commercial season for speckled trout and gaining the support of the House, Rep. Damon Baldone steered his proposal through a Senate committee Thursday to bring it one step closer to final passage.
“After they heard my explanation, heard my bill, they withdrew their opposition,” Baldone said of Gov. Bobby Jindal and CCA, a sportfishing lobby, both of which opposed House Bill 545 earlier in the session.
The legislation is now pending final passage on the Senate floor.
Baldone’s bill would add another five months to the commercial speckled-trout season because it would have a limited impact on the catches of recreational fishermen, Baldone said.
There are only 14 licensed commercial fishermen chasing specks these days, which is down from the 30 or so licenses awarded by the state in 2000.
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