May 21, 2025 — The Trump administration published a long-awaited environmental assessment on Tuesday that found that vessel strikes related to oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico are likely to jeopardize the existence of the endangered Rice’s whale.
May 16, 2025 –A grand jury in Texas has indicted four Mexican fishers on charges of illegally harvesting red snapper in U.S. waters.
According to the criminal complaint, U.S. authorities observed a crew of four fishers from Matamoros, Mexico, operating several miles north of the U.S.-Mexico maritime border in the Gulf of Mexico, currently referred to as the Gulf of America by the U.S. government. Operating in an unmarked, unregistered, panga-style fishing vessel without running lights, the crew reportedly harvested 315 kilograms of red snapper.
May 12, 2025 — The BP oil spill—triggered by the Deepwater Horizon explosion 15 years ago last month—remains the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. The Deepwater Horizon explosion killed 11 people and released nearly 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf, devastating ecosystems and contaminating key fishing grounds.
Among the species affected were menhaden—small, oily fish essential to the Gulf’s ecosystem and Louisiana’s economy. As filter feeders and prey for larger predators, they play a critical ecological role. Louisiana’s menhaden fishery, one of the largest in the nation, was hit especially hard. Just two companies harvest menhaden from Louisiana’s waters: Westbank Fishing in Empire and Ocean Harvesters in Abbeville. Together, they employ more than 2,000 workers and contribute over $25 million annually to the state and local economy. But when oil from the spill spread across the northern Gulf, it forced widespread closures of federal and state waters—including over half of Louisiana’s inshore fishing grounds. The industry was suddenly paralyzed, facing a collapse in access, markets, and operating stability.
For Westbank Fishing, the disaster struck just five years after Hurricane Katrina had devastated its home base in Plaquemines Parish. The company had only recently rebuilt its fleet, processing facility and workforce. “We’d already learned how to survive after Katrina,” said Shane Treadaway, Vice President of Operations. “So, when the oil spill happened, we knew how to dig in, stay focused, and do whatever it took to come back strong.” That hard-earned resilience became critical as the company confronted yet another crisis.