Louisiana moves toward shrinking some buffer zones for commercial pogie fishing

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The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission has taken early steps to adjust a buffer zone that would allow commercial menhaden fishing closer to the state’s coastline, reigniting the industry’s fight with sports fishermen and charter boat captains.

The policy, which still has months to go in the approval process, would shrink a half-mile zone, inside which menhaden cannot be harvested, down to a quarter-mile along much of Louisiana’s coast. The buffer would be expanded in certain select areas, but the large portions moved closer to shore would appease menhaden industry members who have complained their catch has been hurt since the buffer was put in place a year ago.

Menhaden, also known as pogies, are a small, bony fish used in pet foods, fish oil supplements and fertilizers. The Gulf of Mexico’s waters off Louisiana’s coasts are prime commercial harvesting grounds for menhaden, which are a primary food source for popular gamefish such as redfish and speckled trout.

Other states along the Gulf Coast, where beaches draw more tourists, have far larger buffer zones for menhaden fishing. That, along with more plentiful stock off the Louisiana coast, has led to the increased tensions here.

Recreational anglers, who are largely interested in larger gamefish that feed on the smaller menhaden, say the pogy boats’ wide nets and vacuum devices ensnare reds and specks, and that their excluder devices fatally injure fish that manage to escape. Commercial harvesters say the sport fishers remove far more gamefish from the Gulf than they do. Hundreds showed for a standing room-only commission meeting Thursday when commissioners heard three hours of public testimony for and against the buffer zone change.

The commission’s 4-3 vote, with chairman Kevin Sagrera breaking the tie, comes about a year after both sides reached a compromise to establish the half-mile buffer zone.

The commission put that policy in place after two mass menhaden kills left tons of dead fish on Louisiana shores.

The Wildlife and Fisheries Commission was moving toward a 1-mile buffer zone until Gov. Jeff Landry interceded and led both sides to a half-mile compromise.

Charlie Caplinger, CEO of the Coastal Conservation Association of Louisiana, opposes the buffer zone adjustment. He told the commission the change scraps the compromise from a year ago in favor of restrictions that favor commercial menhaden harvesters.

“You are giving this industry a billion fish a year, and the message here today is: ‘That’s not enough,’” Caplinger said.

Travis Harvey of Port Sulphur said he represented fishermen and other members of the lower Plaquemines Parish community who depend on menhaden harvesting and processing for their livelihoods. He likened the situation to the demise of the steel and coal industries in other parts of the country.

“You all are trying to close our mill, our mine,” Harvey said to recreational fishing advocates. “We’re not asking for extra. We’re just asking what we’ve had for 75 years.”

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Sport fishermen said pogy boats working closer to the shore would invariably catch more gamefish, with some suggesting the industry adapt and fish at greater depths.

State Rep. Joe Orgeron, R-Cut Off, testified against the buffer zone change. He told commissioners that Menhaden are pelagic fish.

“Do you know what ‘pelagic’ means? Deep water,” he said. “The industry needs to adjust its equipment to find menhaden in deeper water.”

Francois Kuttel owns and leads Westbank Fishing, one of the main menhaden fleets working off the Louisiana coast. He said it’s wrong to assume his vessels can simply move further offshore to make up for the catch it loses to the buffer zone.

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Proposed buffer zone changes
From 1/2 mile to 1/4 mile from the Cameron Jetties to Rutherford Beach; Mermentau River to Rollover; Point Au Fer to Bayou Grand Caillou; and Bay Long to Southwest Pass.
Buffers would be increased inside the Chandeleur Islands and around Isle Dernieres

No changes
A 3-mile buffer for Grand Isle would remain in effect.
A 1-mile buffer off Holly Beach would stay in place

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