Saving Seafood

LOUISIANA: Science, not assumption, in Louisiana menhaden debate

January 21, 2026 — Louisiana has long relied on science to guide its management of natural resources, including energy, agriculture, and fisheries. That approach is now under scrutiny as the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission reviews proposed changes to the state’s menhaden buffer zone regulations, according to an article by the Louisiana Commercial Fisheries Coalition, reported by NOLA.com.

For decades, Louisiana’s menhaden fishery operated under strict coastal limits and has been continuously monitored and independently assessed. Peer-reviewed stock assessments have consistently found that menhaden are not overfished and that overfishing is not occurring, the article reported.

That began to change in 2021, when the state imposed additional blanket buffer restrictions along the coast. Those measures were designed largely to reduce user conflict with the recreational fishing sector, even though Louisiana-specific data to justify the changes did not yet exist. The result was a one-size-fits-all regulatory approach applied to a highly diverse coastline.

Louisiana’s menhaden fleet consists of just 27 vessels, compared to more than 400,000 licensed saltwater anglers statewide. The expanded buffer zones closed traditional fishing grounds that later scientific analysis showed posed little environmental risk. The closures had real economic consequences for menhaden fishermen, processing plant workers, and the coastal communities that rely on year-round commercial fishing jobs.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

For Louisiana’s Menhaden Fishery, If Science Doesn’t Guide Regulations, What Does?

January 20, 2026 — Louisiana has long relied on science to guide how it manages its natural resources. From energy to agriculture to fisheries, legislators and regulators have invested in research, monitoring, and expert oversight to ensure decisions are grounded in evidence rather than assumption.

That commitment is now being tested as the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission reviews the state’s menhaden buffer zone.

How We Got Here

For decades, Louisiana’s menhaden fishery operated under strict coastal limits and remained sustainable. The fishery has been continuously monitored, independently assessed, and confirmed as healthy by peer-reviewed stock assessments. Menhaden are not overfished, and overfishing is not occurring.

But beginning in 2021, additional blanket buffer restrictions were imposed to reduce user conflict with the recreational fishing sector. Many of these measures were accepted in good faith, even though Louisiana-specific data did not yet exist to support them. The rules applied a one-size-fits-all approach to a coastline that is anything but uniform.

To put the issue in perspective, Louisiana has more than 400,000 licensed saltwater anglers and just 27 menhaden vessels. Yet broad restrictions closed traditional fishing grounds that science later showed posed little environmental risk. The result was real economic harm to Louisiana menhaden fishermen, processing plant workers, and coastal communities that depend on these year-round commercial fishing jobs.

Read the full article at the Advocate

Former NOAA biologist publishes comprehensive history of Menhaden Fishery

December 23, 2025 — A new book, “Menhaden: A Biologist’s Thirty-Two Year Journey with the Fish and the Fishery,” by Morehead City resident Joe Smith, offers what Palmetto Publishing calls “an exhaustive look at the menhaden fisheries.” The book covers the history of both Atlantic and Gulf coast menhaden fisheries while offering an insider view of the industry and the biological knowledge of what is frequently referred to as “the most important fish in the sea.”

Smith said the book is “kind of a celebration of menhaden.”

Few are better qualified to celebrate the fish than Smith, who spent more than 30 years working with the National Marine Fisheries Service at the NOAA Beaufort Laboratory as part of the Menhaden Program launched in 1955.

Read the full article at Carteret County News-Times

LOUISIANA: Science vs. Spin: The Truth About Menhaden Fishing in Louisiana Waters

December 15, 2025 — Louisiana’s coast supports a wide variety of uses, including conservation, recreation, commercial fishing, energy, and shipping. The debate over menhaden harvest and the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC)’s proposed Notice of Intent reflects how difficult it is to balance those interests using science-based decision making.

Recent commentary has raised concerns about the sustainability of Gulf menhaden and the impact of modifying buffer zones. Some of this misleading pressure has come from out-of-state advocacy groups unfamiliar with Louisiana’s working waters. It has led people to ask how the fishery is managed and what the proposed changes would mean on the water.

Louisiana’s menhaden fishery produces over $419 million in annual economic output and provides livelihoods for more than 2,000 people in the industry and its supply chain. Menhaden also serve its ecosystem role as forage for gamefish and recreational fisheries.

In a debate full of online noise, facts still matter most.

Read the full article at The Advocate

LOUISIANA: Louisiana reduces size of menhaden fishing buffer zones

November 7, 2025 — The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) is moving forward with a proposal to reduce the size of buffer zones for menhaden fishing near the state’s beaches, a move praised by the industry and criticized by environmental groups.

The LWFC voted to shrink the buffer zones around Louisiana beaches to a quarter-mile, removing a prior half-mile buffer zone that was put in place in 2024. The decision followed a clash between the menhaden fishing industry and environmentalists in 2023 after net spills lead to hundreds of thousands of dead fish washing up on shore.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

LOUISIANA: Gulf Menhaden Industry Replies: Backwoods University Hosts Ben Landry of Ocean Harvesters

November 5, 2025 — The following was released by the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition:

Last week, Backwoods University, a podcast series from the MeatEater network, explored the menhaden fishing industry, known locally as “pogie” fishing, along the Louisiana coast. At that time, host Lake Pickle was unable to reach a representative from the commercial sector. Since then, he connected with Ben Landry, Vice President of Public Affairs for Ocean Harvesters, who joined him for a bonus episode to provide the industry’s perspective. “My job is not to tell anyone how to think,” Pickle said. “My job is to try my best to present both sides and let people make up their own mind.”

The conversation comes as the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries prepares to vote on changes to buffer zone laws, which determine how close to shore menhaden boats may operate.

Listen to the full episode here

The episode provides an in-depth look at how the Gulf’s commercial menhaden fleet views issues of sustainability, regulation, and coexistence with recreational fishing communities.

The conversation begins by clarifying a common misconception about ownership. Both Ocean Harvesters and Westbank Fishing are American-owned and operated, using U.S.-flagged vessels. While processing companies such as Omega Protein and Daybrook Fisheries have foreign parent ownership, this structure does not affect or direct fishing operations or change the domestic nature of the fleets.

A major focus of the discussion is the ongoing debate over Louisiana’s buffer zones, the designated distance commercial menhaden vessels must maintain from shore. The industry supports retaining the current half-mile buffer across most of the coast while allowing quarter-mile zones only in select, low-use areas without development, where recreational fishing is minimal. Larger, established buffer zones around Grand Isle and Holly Beach would remain intact. The goal, as outlined, is to balance access to nearshore menhaden schools, where the fish naturally congregate, while minimizing user conflicts on the water.

The episode also explores recent scientific work on bycatch, particularly a report indicating that about 85% of non-target fish survive when they remain in the net during pumping. However, survival drops sharply if fish enter the pump. To address this, menhaden fleets are working to redesign and standardized hose-cage systems to prevent large fish, such as red drum, from being pulled through the hose. The conversation describes how different configurations were tested across vessels this season to further improve survival rates. It is believed that this effort could dramatically reduce the bycatch mortality of the fishery.

Beyond bycatch mitigation, the industry has invested more than $3 million combined in stronger, more durable nets, significantly reducing accidental spills and tears, from about 15-20 per year just a few years ago to two this past season. These measures form part of a broader effort to demonstrate that the fishery can operate responsibly while maintaining jobs for Gulf Coast crews.

Pickle and Landry also discuss a recent incident involving menhaden boats and tarpon anglers. Tracking data showed vessels operating roughly three-quarters of a mile away from recreational boats during a legal set. The crews reported that any tarpon or sharks caught were released alive. The conversation emphasizes the importance of lowering tensions, maintaining open communication, and avoiding situations that could escalate conflict on the water.

Throughout the interview, Landry reflects on the long history of the menhaden fishery, which has operated for over 80 years in the Gulf and more than 145 years on the Atlantic coast, and on its continued role as a working-waterfront industry that supports local jobs. Both Pickle and Landry agree that improving understanding and dialogue between sectors is essential to maintaining sustainable fisheries and safe operations.

The episode closes with an invitation to Backwoods University from Ocean Harvesters to tour its facilities in Moss Point, Mississippi, and Abbeville, Louisiana, to see firsthand how the fishery operates.

The menhaden, or “pogie,” fishery has supplied fertilizer, animal feed, bait, and omega-3-rich oils for over a century. Menhaden are small, oily fish that play a vital role in coastal ecosystems while supporting significant local employment. The industry operates under state and regional management and is subject to ongoing scientific monitoring to ensure sustainable harvest practices.

Backwoods University is a bi-weekly podcast series from the MeatEater network examining the intersection of outdoor life, conservation, and culture. Hosted by Lake Pickle, a lifelong hunter, conservationist, and Mississippian, the show highlights diverse perspectives on environmental and policy issues affecting the modern outdoors.

About the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition
The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition (MFC) is a collective of menhaden fishermen, related businesses, and supporting industries. Comprised of businesses along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition conducts media and public outreach on behalf of the menhaden industry to ensure that members of the public, media, and government are informed of important issues, events, and facts about the fishery.

Press Contact
Menhaden Fisheries Coalition
(202) 595-1212
www.menhaden.org

Florida’s Oldest Seafood Trade Group Joins Menhaden Debate, Defending Science-Based Management

October 27, 2025 — The following was released by the Southeastern Fisheries Association:

The Southeastern Fisheries Association (SFA) — established in 1952 and describing itself as Florida’s oldest seafood industry association with members ranging from fishermen and boat owners to processors, markets, bait providers, restaurants, transportation companies, for-hire charter operators, and consumers from North Carolina through Texas — has urged the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Menhaden Management Board to reject drastic new quota reductions and keep management rooted in the fishery’s risk framework and established reference points.

In a formal letter to the Commission, SFA pointed to the most recent ecological reference point (ERP) assessment, which, the group wrote, “again found that the stock is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring,” adding that “management has consistently been more conservative than single-species reference points would have historically prescribed.”

The association said those findings demonstrate that current controls are already protecting the resource.  “The probability of exceeding the ERP F THRESHOLD under current management is low,” the letter states.  Because of that low risk, SFA argued against the sweeping 55-percent harvest cuts being discussed by some commissioners and outside advocates.

Instead, SFA proposed a narrowly precautionary adjustment to the coast-wide total allowable catch (TAC).  “The coastwide TAC should not be reduced by more than a precautionary 10 percent (i.e., no lower than 210,195 metric tons). This would ensure no chance of overfishing in 2026 and only about a 1 percent probability if maintained through 2027–2028.”  The association emphasized that anything more severe would be inconsistent with the science and the Commission’s own risk analysis.

The letter also reminded commissioners of the guiding fairness standard contained in the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fisheries Management Program Charter: “Management measures shall be designed to achieve equivalent management results throughout the range of a stock.”  SFA cautioned against using allocation changes to offset or disguise politically motivated quota reductions, arguing that management should remain consistent across jurisdictions.

On Chesapeake Bay issues, SFA advised the Board to hold off on any new restrictions until the recently funded Bay-specific research is complete. “The Board should await this new and relevant science before taking further action.” the association wrote, referring to the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCEMFIS) study now underway to design a scientifically defensible Bay harvest cap.

SFA concluded that the Commission’s present management already provides a strong, precautionary framework.  By the association’s own assessment, “The probability of exceeding the ERP F THRESHOLD under current management is low,” and therefore, it said, “The coastwide TAC should not be reduced by more than a precautionary 10 percent.”  The group urged commissioners to let those numbers — not politics — guide their decision.

Read the full letter here

LOUISIANA: Science, Jobs, and Balance: Rethinking Louisiana’s Menhaden Buffer Zone

October 6, 2025 — Louisiana’s working coast has long depended on the Gulf menhaden fishery – a sustainable industry that supports more than 2,000 jobs, contributes $419 million annually, generates $25 million in state and local tax revenue, and purchases $62 million in goods and services from 32 parishes. Yet, despite this enormous positive impact, recent regulatory changes threaten to undermine this lifeline industry and the communities that depend on it.

At issue is the decision to extend the state’s menhaden buffer zone in recent years. Historically, the fishery operated along the Inside/Outside Line and Double Rig Line – longstanding boundaries for commercial fishing that had already limited where menhaden vessels could operate. In 2021, the buffer zone was extended by one-quarter mile, and again in 2024 to a half-mile from the original line.

While these changes may sound incremental, the impact has been anything but small. The half-mile restriction has excluded thousands of acres of historically productive fishing grounds. In just 3 years, the industry experienced a 25% reduction in fish caught. For an industry already operating on tight margins, this loss is unsustainable, harming not only the companies that fish for menhaden but also thousands of Louisiana families whose livelihoods depend on this fishery.

An Industry That Fuels Local Economies

Louisiana’s menhaden industry is powered by two companies – Westbank Fishing out of Empire, LA (Plaquemines Parish) and Ocean Harvesters out of Abbeville, LA (Vermilion Parish). Contrary to the misinformation that has been spread, both these companies are U.S.-based, U.S.-owned and are totally controlled by U.S. citizens. Together with the two processing companies (Daybrook Fisheries and Omega Protein), they employ more than 800 people directly on vessels and in processing plants, while another 1,200 jobs ripple across rural communities through suppliers, service companies, and transportation providers. These are stable, year-round jobs that anchor small-town economies in parishes where economic opportunities are limited.

Read the full article at The Advocate

Menhaden not key forage for other Gulf species, study says

August 19, 2025 — A study by Mississippi-based researchers found that menhaden are not a primary food source for Gulf of Mexico predator species like red drum, summer flounder, and spotted sea trout.

“The study provides a comprehensive understanding of the Gulf food web and charts the trophic interactions that structure it,” according to a summary from the University of Southern Mississippi. “The findings have fishery management implications for several of the species evaluated in the study. Most notably, Gulf menhaden was not found to be a primary food source for any of the predator species studied.”

The question of menhaden’s role in the Gulf ecosystem is a perennial, hot-button issue in fisheries management. The impact of the region’s commercial menhaden fleet is routinely challenged by recreational and other user groups.

The project, funded by the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCEMFIS) combined the latest in stable isotope analysis “and an extensive meta-analysis of hundreds of published stomach content studies dating back to the 1950s” from Gulf fisheries research.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

New Study Challenges Long-Held Beliefs About Menhaden and the Gulf Food Web

August 11, 2025 — One of the most important questions in the Gulf is also, surprisingly, one that hasn’t had a detailed answer: what exactly do predator fish eat? Species like red drum, southern flounder, and spotted seatrout are important to both the Gulf ecosystem and the recreational fishing economy, and knowing what they eat is key to managing them successfully.

A new study from the University of Southern Mississippi is helping answer that question with one of the most comprehensive investigations of predator diets to date.

Rethinking the Role of Gulf Menhaden

One of the headline findings concerns another important species: Gulf menhaden. Often viewed as the key food source for many of these predators, the study finds they may not be as central to these predator diets as previously thought.

While menhaden are part of the mix, the study found no predator species examined relied on them as a primary food source. Instead, predator diets were found to be incredibly varied and opportunistic, depending on what prey is available at different times and in different places.

Read the full article at NOLA.com