WBRZ - Baton Rouge

The National Marine Fisheries Service will close federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico to commercial
fishing for large coastal sharks at 11:50 p.m. on Wednesday.

Reopening Louisiana waters will depend on a federal date, which has not been set for 2011.

The national fisheries service opened the season Feb. 4, with a quota of 390.5 metric tons dressed weight.

It says about 216 metric tons - or 55 percent of the quota - had been taken by the end of February.

It expected landings to reach 89 percent of the quota by March 15.

Federal regulations call for closing the season when more than 80 percent of the quota has been reached.