FFI Gulf Coast Council

The saga to protect one of the ocean’s most valuable forage species continues this Spring in the Louisiana Legislature. CCA Louisiana, The Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, and many other conservation groups – including the FFI Gulf Coast Council – are working in support of House Bill 1033 by Rep. Joe Orgeron. This bill would require weekly reporting of menhaden catches as well as establish limits on menhaden harvesting on a tiered distance from shore.

To understand where we are, a quick overview on this issue:

• Menhaden (pogies) are the most important food source for redfish, speckled trout, spanish mackerel and many other predatory species. This nutrient-rich species is also harvested commercially for a variety of uses, from dietary supplements to pet food.
• 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.
• Of equal concern is the bycatch. The methods used to harvest pogies has been documented to result in the demise of thousands of bull reds (spawning stock) as well as large numbers of spotted seatrout.
• For these reasons, most coastal states have long banned commercial harvest within their waters, while the few states that allow it have established buffer zones (distance from shore) of at least one mile. Louisiana is the lone exception in allowing unlimited nearshore harvest.

… and a history of how we got here…

• In 2019, video and photos surfaced in social media of menhaden vessels working just yards off the Louisiana shoreline, with dead redfish (and other sport fish) floating by the hundreds. These sparked magazine articles and outrage among anglers and other conservationists.
• In June 2020, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission heard from biologists and conservationists on a proposal for a one-mile buffer zone. LWFC rejected the proposal.
• In March 2021, conservationists took their case to the Louisiana Legislature. HB535 would have established a 1/2 mile buffer zone. While it had overwhelming support in both the House and Senate, the Senate Natural Resources Committee Chair, Bob Hengens of Abbeville – an ally of Omega Protein – did a masterful job of stalling the bill, leading to its failure to pass before the session ended.
• In January 2021, the LWFC voted on a Notice of Intent to establish a 1/4 mile buffer zone. Apparently the LWFC came to realize that if it did not act, the legislature would again take up the issue. However, the NOI was amended to not include Breton Sound, infuriating legislative members.

So now the legislature takes up HB1033. It’s different than HB535 in that it still allows harvesting within a half-mile, but places a very restrictive quota.  HB1033 sets the following limits:
– statewide a total limit of 573 million pounds
– 150 million pounds within one mile of shore
– 229 million pounds within two miles of shore
– daily set locations for each vessel, and weekly reporting of harvests
– harvest zones will be closed once limit is reached

Meanwhile, Senator Hengens has filed a bill favoring his harvester allies. SB447 would only require weekly reporting of harvest with no other restrictions.

As of this writing, HB1033 by Rep. Orgeron has passed the House Natural Resources Committee by a 9-3 vote and goes to the House floor for a full vote.

The GCC asks our Louisiana members and all other fly anglers and conservationists to contact their state representatives and senators and ask them to SUPPORT HOUSE BILL 1033.

FFI members and other conservationists in coastal Alabama have an opportunity to help preserve estuary areas vital to marine fisheries. On May 5th, the Board of Trustees of Alabama Forever Wild Trust will hold their quarterly meeting at the L.D. Owen Performing Arts Center at Coastal Alabama Community College in Bay Minette. Time is 10 a.m.

At this meeting, updates on the Forever Wild program activities and tract assessments will be presented. This meeting will also provide an opportunity for any individual who would like to make comments concerning the program to address the board.

The public is also encouraged to submit nominations of tracts of land for possible Forever Wild program purchase. Written nominations may be submitted by email to Forever.Wild@dcnr.alabama.gov or by letter to the State Lands Division, Room 464, 64 N. Union St, Montgomery, AL 36130. Nominations can also be made online at www.alabamaforeverwild.com/contact/nominate_land_tracts.

At the March meeting of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission meeting, the body adopted a Notice of Intent (NOI) to set an annual closed season for the recreational and commercial harvest of Southern Flounder from October 15th through November 30th of each year. The purpose of the NOI is aid in the recovery of stocks which have seriously declined in state waters over the past decade.

The problem is not unique to Louisiana. Throughout their range – from North Carolina to south Texas – Southern Flounder have declined steeply in numbers. As a result, almost every state has adopted a closed season in late fall. This is the period in which flounder migrate to the sea to spawn. In doing so, they often congregate making them easy targets for harvest.

It’s not a problem of overfishing as much as low spawning recruitment. According to various studies, flounder born with XY chromosomes can determine their sex after they’re born and when they’re between 30 and 65 millimeters in length. These juveniles are becoming increasingly more masculine, with very few females left for future recruitment.

A study by researchers at LSU reported that the cause may be related to warmer water temperatures. There is a certain critical water temperature, that above that temperature, these tiny flounder are much more likely to become males. That’s because – under environmental stress – males function better than females. They use less energy during their lifespan for growth and reproduction. Males seldom grow over 14 inches in length, while females can get up to 28 inches.

Some states are attacking the problem from two sides. For example, Alabama not only has a closed season but they are stocking juvenile flounder raised in hatcheries where the water temperature is ideal for 50/50 sexual orientation. This will lead to a much faster recovery than closed season alone.

The public can submit comments relative to the proposed rule to Jason Adriance, Fisheries Division, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, P.O. Box 98000, Baton Rouge, LA 70898-9000 or via email to jadriance@wlf.la.gov prior to noon on May 2, 2022.