Annual Stock Size - The statewide oyster stock size in 2015 decreased over 2014 levels as approximately 1,115,484 (±323,384) barrels of oysters (1 barrel of oysters approximately 70 kg) are available on the public oyster areas of Louisiana this year (Table 1). Unfortunately, this stock size represents an approximate decrease of 40% from 2014 levels, and the comparison of the two estimates shows a significant statistical difference. The 2015 statewide stock availability, just as in 2014, is heavily influenced by oyster stocks in the Mississippi Sound area (CSA 1), but still remains well below the long-term mean of 3.29 million barrels (Figure 4). Both seed and market-size oyster stocks decreased by approximately 40% statewide (Figure 5), and seed oyster stocks were below 2014 levels in all CSAs. Market-size oyster stocks showed increases in CSAs 1, 3, 5E, and 5W. The oyster stock in CSA 1-North showed an approximate 14% decrease in size compared to 2014 at 508,468 (±236,715) barrels. This decrease was driven largely by a reduction in seed oyster stocks which fell 23% over 2014 levels to 336,732 (±101,577) barrels; however seed stock size is 26% above the 10-year mean. The market-size oyster stock is estimated to be 171,735 (±53,329) barrels, an increase of approximately 12% compared to 2014 and largest the market stock size since 2009; however market stock size is 5% below the 10-year mean. The largest contributor to the seed oyster stock is the Three-Mile Pass 2013 cultch plant (41%), and the Drum Bay 2013 cultch plant contributed most to the market-size oyster stock (46%). Oyster production on public grounds in CSA 1-South appears to be seriously impaired. The current oyster stock size is only 50,631 (±22,285) barrels, down 41% compared to 2014 and down 96% from the long-term mean. This decrease was driven by an 83% reduction in the seed oyster stock compared to 2014, estimated at only 5,059 (±1,868) barrels. The market-size oyster resource showed a 19% decrease compared to 2014, estimated at only 45,572 (±20,418) barrels. Alarmingly, no spat or seed oysters were found on any reef complexes; seed oysters were only found on the Lake Fortuna 2012 cultch plant (which contained no spat). Only four of the twelve reef complexes were estimated to have any oyster resource. The current oyster stock size in the Hackberry Bay Public Oyster Seed Reservation (CSA 3) is 17,663 (±6,344) barrels; a 52% decrease in total stock size compared to 2014. Seed oyster availability in 2015 decreased 74% to 9,267 (±3601) barrels and is 14% below the 10-year mean; however the market-size oyster stock size increased 371% to 8,397 (±2,743) barrels and is 144% above the 10-year mean. The size of the oyster stock in the Sister Lake Public Oyster Seed Reservation in 2015 decreased 34% compared to 2014 levels and is estimated at 198,952 (±18,152) barrels. The seed oyster stock decreased 48% to 141,034 (±9,912) barrels, but is only slightly below the long-term mean (6%). The market-size oyster stock increased 73% to 57,919 (±4,998) barrels; however this is 50% below the long-term mean. The Sister Lake 2012 cultch plant continues to be productive, containing 88% of the available seed resource and 85% of the available market-size oyster resource. Public oyster areas in CSA 7 (Calcasieu and Sabine Lakes) accounted of over 30% of the statewide oyster resource in 2015 (Table 1, Figure 6) and the oyster stock size in Sabine Lake (258,527 ± 31,106 barrels) is over three times greater than Calcasieu Lake (77,604 ± 10,424 barrels). The oyster stocks in Sabine and Calcasieu both decreased in 2015 compared to 2014. Seed and market-size oyster stocks in Sabine Lake fell 40% (77,728 ± 9,227 barrels) and 64% (180,799 ± 21,880 barrels) respectively, and seed and market-size oyster stocks in Calcasieu Lake fell 66% (41,918 ± 4,974 barrels) and 62% (35,685 ± 5,451 barrels) respectively. - 2014-2015 Commercial Harvest Season - Estimated commercial harvest increased during the 2014/2015 oyster season (Table 2) as compared to the previous season and was largely due to the successful oyster season in the Mississippi Sound area (CSA 1 North) where a strong 2014 fall spat set and 5-day 2015 spring season yielded 111,434 barrels of seed oysters and 16,372 sacks of market oysters. This equates to a 20-fold increase in total harvest for the Mississippi Sound area compared to the previous season. The overall decrease in market oyster harvest can be attributed to the typical biannual closure of the Sister Lake POSR and the closure of the Hackberry Bay POSG during the 2014/2015 season. Increased market oyster harvest was observed in CSA6 and Calcasieu Lake. The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals opened Harvest Area 25 in CSA6 which resulted in 30,051 sacks of market oysters (almost a 10-fold increase compared the previous season). Harvest in Calcasieu Lake was again restricted to the West Cove portion of the lake, yet harvesters were able to produce over 55,000 sacks of market oysters during the 2014/2015 season (almost a 40% increase compared to the previous season).