We need your help to stop rollback of menhaden regulations in Louisiana!
Louisiana has long been one of only two states that doesn’t have significant regulations on commercial menhaden harvest. In fact, it’s been mostly unregulated until recent years.
In 2022, after several incidents of hundreds of bull redfish floating in nearshore waters, and commercial menhaden boats skimming the beaches, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries (LWF) Commission finally took action by establishing a scant 1/4-mile buffer zone. Then in February of last year – after multiple infractions – filing a Notice of Intent to increase the exclusion zone.
The FFI Gulf Coast Council, American Saltwater Guides Association, Louisiana Wildlife Federation, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and many other conservation groups supported a coastwide one-mile buffer zone. When it appeared that the Commission might support our proposal, the industry agreed to a compromise offered by the governor – one that heavily favored the pogey plunderers. The harvest buffer zone was extended from 1/4 mile to a measly 1/2 mile.
Since then, an independent study has shown that the menhaden fishery results in the demise of 24,000 red drum each year, as well as millions of other game species. You’d think that given those outrageous bycatch kill numbers, and that the fishery has resulted in noticeable decline in the biomass in state waters – last year’s harvest was a whopping 1.1 billion pounds – that the LWF Commission would consider placing stricter regulations on the industry. Not so.
At the October Commission meeting, the industry pleaded for a rollback to prior regulations. In addition, they put on a full-blown advertisement in south Louisiana newspapers stating their case, claiming that the fishery generates $419 million in economic output and supports over 2,000 jobs. Nevermind that saltwater recreational fishing in Louisiana is a $3.1 billion industry.
After the industry’s address to the Commission, the Chairman asked the Wildlife and Fisheries Department to bring a Notice of Intent to the November 6th Commission meeting, for the purpose of reducing regulations.
Before we continue, let’s review why anglers and conservation groups like Fly Fishers International have sought stricter regulations.
- Menhaden are the most important food source for redfish, speckled trout, jack crevalle, spanish mackerel and many other predatory species.
- Overharvesting of menhaden has been linked to poor condition of fish and decreased biomass of species, as well as displacement of sea birds and mammals.
- Studies show that harvest bycatch results in direct kills of over 24,000 redfish (mostly spawners), thousands of black drum, millions of white trout, and many other species each year.
For these reasons, most coastal states have long banned commercial harvest within their waters, while the few states that allow it have established very strict regulations – both zones and harvest allotments.
Our friends at the American Saltwater Guides Association have posted a response on their website. We strongly encourage all of our followers to read it. CLICK HERE.
In the meantime, the FFI Gulf Coast Council and many other groups are calling upon all anglers and conservationists to contact Commission members and legislators and let them know this is unacceptable. What we need is more stringent harvest regulations – not less!
Here’s what you can do, if you live in Lousiana or fish Louisiana waters:
- Contact LWF Commission members. This page has email contacts:
https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/commission - Contact your local state representative and state senator.
https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Bios.aspx?cid=H - Send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper
- If on Facebook, repost FFI Gulf Coast Council or ASGA postings
- If possible, attend the LWF Commission meeting on November 6th at LDWF Headquarters in Baton Rouge.
Let’s send a strong message to ALL that it’s time to put this vital resource, and our coastal fisheries, ahead of profits for foreign-owned companies.
