Saving Seafood

LOUISIANA: Conservation group calls for state, federal response after dredging incident disrupts Louisiana shellfish

August 18, 2025 — A surge of sediment has flooded into No Name Bayou due to an ongoing dredging project in the area, disrupting multiple shellfish fisheries and threatening the success of the state’s shrimping season, which started this month.

Natural gas provider Venture Global had been conducting dredging in the area as it builds out a new a liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction and export facility in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, U.S.A. However, on 4 August, the sediment escaped from its designated area, flooding into the waterway and burying crab traps and oyster beds.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

LOUISIANA: Amendment seeks aid for Louisiana’s wild-caught crawfishermen

August 4, 2025 — Two Louisiana congressmen, Cleo Fields and Clay Higgins, have introduced an amendment to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to support the state’s wild-caught crawfishermen during disaster relief.

The proposed amendment seeks to expand fishery disaster relief programs to include wild-caught crawfish, which currently do not qualify for disaster assistance under existing U.S. Department of Agriculture or Magnuson-Stevens Act provisions. This change would allow the Secretary of Commerce to declare a fishery disaster for red swamp crawfish and white river crawfish, providing relief in the event of natural or man-made disasters.

Read the full article at CenLANow.com

Louisiana lawmakers introduce bill to expand disaster relief for crawfishermen

August 1, 2025 — Louisiana lawmakers have introduced new bipartisan legislation aimed at providing federal disaster relief to crawfish fisheries,

Currently, wild-caught crawfish are not eligible for disaster relief through the U.S. Department of Agriculture or under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, which governs most federal fishery management.

The Fisheries Modernization Act (H.R. 4800), introduced by Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., and Cleo Fields, D-La., would modify the legislation to specifically include red swamp crawfish and white river crawfish — two species central to Louisiana’s wild-caught industry. If passed, the measure would allow the Commerce Secretary to declare a fishery disaster for these species in the event of environmental catastrophes, infrastructure failures, or other crises that lead to significant drops in population or revenue.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

LOUISIANA: Louisiana representatives want to make crawfish eligible for federal disaster relief funds

July 31, 2025 — U.S. federal lawmakers from the state of Louisiana have introduced a bill that would make wild-caught crawfish eligible for the Department of Commerce’s fishery disaster relief program.

“Louisiana’s crawfish harvesters are a vital part of our state’s economy and heritage. This legislation not only recognizes that legacy, but it also ensures that when future disasters hit, they won’t be left behind. Including wild-caught crawfish under the Magnuson-Stevens Act is a simple yet practical way to give this industry the federal support it deserves,” U.S. Representative Cleo Fields (D-Louisiana) said in a statement.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Proudly American: How Two Louisiana Companies Anchor U.S. Leadership in the Gulf Menhaden Fishery

July 21, 2025 — Along Louisiana’s coast, fishing is more than a job, it’s a way of life. At the heart of this tradition are two U.S.-owned and operated companies, Westbank Fishing and Ocean Harvesters, which together power one of the most sustainable fisheries in the world and help keep jobs, innovation, and investment right here in America.

Local Companies with Deep Roots

Westbank Fishing, based in Empire, LA (Plaquemines Parish), has operated in southern Louisiana for decades. It delivers its catch to the Daybrook Fisheries plant and supports hundreds of local jobs while focusing on safety, efficiency, and environmental stewardship.

Founded in 2017, Ocean Harvesters operates out of Abbeville, LA (Vermilion Parish) and provides fishing services exclusively to Omega Protein. Ocean Harvesters has invested heavily in sustainability, safety, and professional training.

Both Westbank Fishing and Ocean Harvesters operate MARAD-compliant fleets, meaning their vessels are U.S.-built, U.S.-owned, and U.S.-crewed in accordance with the U.S. Maritime Administration’s standards. This designation reflects a strong commitment to national maritime security and domestic workforce development. This compliance isn’t just a label—it ensures these vessels are available for national defense sealift if needed and keeps maritime jobs in the U.S.

Read the full article at NOLA.com

LOUISIANA: New Study Debunks Red Drum Crisis Claims: Louisiana’s Gulf Menhaden Fishery Not to Blame

July 14, 2025 — A landmark Louisiana-funded study confirms what decades of fisheries science have long suggested: the Gulf menhaden fishery is not a major contributor to red drum mortality in Louisiana waters.

The comprehensive bycatch assessment, conducted by LGL Ecological Research Associates and administered through the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, found that commercial menhaden harvesters were responsible for just 3.4% of red drum removals by number statewide in 2024. In contrast, 96.6% of removals were from the recreational sector.

These findings come at a time when misinformation about red drum bycatch has fueled public pressure for new restrictions on commercial harvesters. But the data tells a clear story: Louisiana’s menhaden fishery is both sustainable and responsible — and not a threat to red drum populations.

Backed by Independent Science

The study was funded through a $1 million appropriation by the Louisiana Legislature and carried out during the 2024 fishing season. It is the most extensive bycatch study ever conducted in the Gulf menhaden fishery, with data collected from 418 purse seine sets — 3.2% of total effort, exceeding the original sampling goal by more than 50%.

Observers and electronic monitoring systems were used to gather and verify data. The study employed advanced techniques such as Reflex Action Mortality Predictors (RAMP) and 24-hour live holding tanks to assess fish survival.

Read the full article at NOLA.com

 

LOUISIANA: Gulf menhaden fishery no threat to red drum, study finds

July 10, 2025 — A study of bycatch in the Louisiana menhaden purse seine fishery found that overall non-target fish species comprised 3.59 percent by weight – below the state’s restriction for no more than 5 percent, according to a July 8 report to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.

Capture of red drum as menhaden bycatch was calculated to account for 3.4 percent of red drum mortality in the state. Menhaden industry advocates welcomed the findings at the commission’s July meeting, saying the detailed data showed 30,142 redfish were taken by the fishery during 2024, “while recreational fishing is responsible for 96.6 percent by number of fish.”

“The study reaffirms what decades of science have consistently shown: Louisiana’s Gulf menhaden fishery is sustainable, selective, and not a threat to red drum populations,” the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition said in a statement after the report’s release.

The study was funded with a $1 million appropriation from the Louisiana state Legislature, and administered by the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission. Conducted by researchers with LGL Ecological Research Associates Inc. on board menhaden vessels for seven months during the 2024 fishing season, the study “represents the most detailed assessment of bycatch in the history of the Gulf menhaden fishery,” according to the menhaden coalition.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

LOUISIANA: Louisiana commercial fishers welcome menhaden bycatch study

July 9, 2025 –A new study on bycatch in Louisiana’s commercial menhaden fishery is largely being welcomed by the state’s fishing industry, who claim it shows the fishery “is sustainable, selective, and not a threat to red drum populations.”

“This study should put to rest the misinformation that’s too often circulated about this fishery,” Menhaden Fisheries Coalition spokesperson Bob Vanasse said in a statement. “This independent science reaffirms what we’ve always said: The Gulf menhaden fishery is guided by data, not politics or guesswork.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

LOUISIANA: Meet the Father-Son Duo Keeping Louisiana’s Fishing Heritage Afloat

July 8, 2025 — For many in Louisiana’s menhaden industry, fishing is a family tradition passed down from generation to generation. To see this tradition carried on today, look no further than the Damerons: fourth-generation Ocean Harvesters Captain Michael Dameron and his son Andrew.

For Michael, being the captain of the Ocean Harvesters Fishing Vessel Oyster Bayou is the fulfillment of a childhood dream.

“All I ever wanted to be was a fish boat captain,” Michael says. “I graduated high school on a Saturday night, stepped aboard a boat Sunday morning, and I’ve never looked back.”

Read the full article at NOLA.com

LOUISIANA: Wildlife and Fisheries set to see results of menhaden fishing study, plus other outdoors news

July 7, 2025 — Conservation and environmental groups will finally get the results of the first independent study on bycatch involving the commercial menhaden fishery industry off the Louisiana coast.

The report is a major agenda item during Tuesday’s 9:30 a.m. Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission meeting set for state Wildlife and Fisheries headquarters on Quail Drive in Baton Rouge.

The study is part of a settlement forced by Gov. Jeff Landry in 2024. Groups opposed to menhaden fishery operations sought a one-mile “buffer” off the coast. The settlement with the two major foreign-owned fishery companies set a half-mile buffer zone coastwide with at least one area, Grand Isle, maintaining a three-mile ban on the take of menhaden from its beach.

Read the full article at The Advocate