and water levels are stabilized behind the weirs to enhance waterfowl food plant growth (Chabreck 

 and Hoffpauir 1962). The area behind the weirs is semi-impounded (Herke 1971). Marsh with 

 emergent, perennial vegetation makes up 80.6% of the area with the remainder being shallow 

 ponds. A small bayou leads from the weirs and meanders through the area. 



CREEL CENSUS 



Shrimping, crabbing, and fishing were the primary forms of recreation in the management units. 

 Participants entered the area by boat and launched at the Humble Canal landing on Rockefeller 

 Refuge at Grand Chenier. User activities and characteristics were determined by creel census as 

 visitors departed from the refuge via the landing. The creel census was of the access point type 

 as described by Hayne (1976). Information gathered from occupants in each boat included number 

 in the party, distance traveled to the refuge, areas visited, time spent at each area, weight of each 

 species taken, method of fishing, and time for each method. The creel census was conducted 

 during visiting hours (sunrise to sunset) on randomly selected sampling dates throughout 1981. 

 Sampling seasons were used in place of months; weekdays were assigned half the probability of 

 being selected as were weekends and holidays. User days were divided into low-use (Monday 

 through Friday) and high-use (weekends and holidays) for the purpose of sampling, and the number 

 of creel censuses on high-use days was twice that of low-use days. The number of days of the creel 

 census was based on a stratification that assumed much more use on weekends than weekdays. 

 Each sampling day was divided into four equal periods, and two randomly determined periods were 

 checked. 



Visitor use and harvest data were also collected based on periods of the year. Five periods 

 were identified: period 1 (January, February, and December; refuge closed, except major canals); 

 period 2 (1 March to 17 May; refuge open, shrimp limited to 4.5 kg/party); period 3 (18 May to 

 8 July; refuge open, shrimp limited to 45 kg/party); period 4 (9 July to 16 August; refuge open, 

 shrimp limited to 4.5 kg/party); period 5 (17 August to 30 November; refuge open, shrimp limited 

 to 45 kg/party). 



RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 



Visitor Characteristics 



We interviewed 805 parties that launched at the Humble Canal boat ramp on Rockefeller 

 Refuge during 1981. They had traveled an average of 124.5 km (S.E. = 1.32) from their point of 

 origin to the refuge (Table 1). The maximum distance traveled was 1,247 km. Statewide, 70% of 

 saltwater anglers travel less than 80 km to fishing sites (Gosselink et al. 1979). Marine anglers 

 nationally travel approximately 370 km from their homes to their fishing sites (National Marine 

 Fisheries Service 1981). The difference is possibly because of the low human population density 

 within 80 km of the Humble Canal boat launch and the location of two major metropolitan areas 

 (Lafayette and Lake Charles, Louisiana) approximately 120 km away. Almost 70% of all anglers 

 nationally live in metropolitan areas (U.S. Dept. of Interior 1977). The sampling period with the 

 lowest mean distance traveled was period 1, when the refuge was almost entirely closed to 

 recreation except for access to the gulf and for activities in the Humble and Headquarters Canals. 

 The greatest mean distances were traveled during periods 3 and 5, when the shrimp possession 

 limit was 45 kg/day (Table 1). 



Average party size (persons per boat) during 1981 was 3.14. Mean party size varied from 2.91 

 persons/party during period 1 to 3.38 persons/party during period 3. The second lowest mean party 



215 



