State wildlife and fisheries officials have closed a portion of Louisiana’s offshore waters to shrimping to help protect smaller shrimp.

The Wildlife and Fisheries Commission authorized Tuesday’s closure at its Dec. 2 meeting.

The commission gave Secretary Robert Barham the authority to delay the closure if marketable quantities of white shrimp were available for harvest. But, in a statement Tuesday, Barham said the waters would closure would go on, based on current sampling.

Officials closed waters south of the inside-outside shrimp line from the western shore of Freshwater Bayou Canal to the U.S. Coast Guard navigation light off the northwest shore of Caillou Boca.

All state outside waters east of the navigational light, as well as state outside waters west of Freshwater Bayou Canal, will remain open.