Committee on Natural Resources - Hearing Wednesday

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I plan to attend

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I've been waiting weeks for the date to get posted and sure enough, I'm traveling this week for business.

22' is the depth at which redfish bycatch is greatly reduced based on the bycatch study.

What's odd is the meeting does not show on the "Upcoming Meetings" tab on legis.la.gov. I called the assistant for the committee who advised the meeting is still on and that the "agenda would be posted shortly." That was at 10am this morning...

As of 2:16pm, it is still not posted.

Here is an email I sent to the Committee. Feel free to modify/use for yourselves. Just send an email.


Dear Committee Members,

Good afternoon. My name is XXXXX. I am a lifelong recreational angler in Louisiana writing to express serious concern regarding industrial menhaden (“pogie”) fishing in Louisiana waters, the recent decision by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (“LDWF”) to weaken nearshore buffer protections, and the critical legislation currently before this Committee addressing these issues.

As you are aware, the LDWF Commission recently voted to reduce the nearshore buffer for industrial menhaden vessels from one-half mile to one-quarter mile across much of Louisiana’s coastline. This decision reversed a compromise that had already proven effective and was widely supported by anglers, conservation groups, and the public alike. Rolling back that protection less than two years later, despite overwhelming public opposition, represents a significant step backward. It allows large industrial vessels to operate in shallow waters, directly impacting fragile nursery habitats and increasing bycatch of critical species like redfish, speckled trout, and tarpon. The rollback was also not grounded in any legitimate factual or legal imperative. Towards the end of the commission meeting, Commissioner Sagrera rambled on about the pogie industry potentially “going out of business” as a result of the existing ½ mile buffer zone, when the pogie representatives themselves admitted that the previous year had been a banner year.

Meanwhile, Louisiana’s recreational and charter fishing economy, which depends on those very species, generates far greater long-term economic value for the state than the pogie industry extracting menhaden for fish meal and oil. The recent buffer rollback, combined with the scale of industrial harvesting, sends a clear message that short-term industrial interests are being prioritized over long-term sustainability, ecosystem health, and the interests of Louisiana citizens. Industrial-scale pogie harvesting, particularly in nearshore waters, removes that foundation while simultaneously generating and killing significant bycatch. Studies have shown tens of thousands of breeding-sized redfish and hundreds of thousands of speckled trout are killed annually as bycatch in this fishery. Anecdotally, I have seen thousands of dead redfish in extremely close proximity to pogie boats within sight of Chandeleur Island.

Now, the Legislature now has a clear opportunity to correct course through several important bills under consideration:

• HB 855 (Rep. Orgeron) would restore a science-based buffer by effectively keeping industrial menhaden vessels out of shallow, nearshore waters where they cause the greatest ecological harm. This is a critical step to reduce bycatch of redfish, speckled trout, tarpon, and other key species that Louisiana anglers, guides, and coastal communities depend on.
• HB 757 introduces meaningful accountability by establishing real penalties for buffer zone violations, including escalating fines and potential license revocation. Without enforcement, regulations are ineffective.
• HB 872 would require AIS tracking on all commercial menhaden vessels, ensuring real-time monitoring and preventing unreported violations. Transparency and enforceability are essential to restoring confidence in this fishery, and this bill dovetails into the accountability measures set forth in HB 757.
• HB 886 would require public access to harvest data, reinforcing that Louisiana’s coastal waters are a public resource and that their use should be subject to public accountability. This is a key step in further science-based management, as the existing ½ mile buffer zone on its own provides insufficient protection for menhaden. This will assist the Legislature in future efforts to further curtail the catastrophic effects that the industrial menhaden industry has on Louisiana’s fisheries.
• SB 186 addresses one of the most glaring gaps in Louisiana’s current framework: the absence of harvest limits. Every other menhaden-producing state imposes limits. Louisiana does not. Given that menhaden are a foundational forage species supporting the entire coastal food chain, this lack of limits is both unsustainable and out of step with responsible fisheries management.

Louisiana’s coastal fisheries, including but not limited to the pogie, are a public resource subject to the public trust doctrine. They should be managed with long-term sustainability and accountability—not subject to rapid regulatory reversals that erode public trust and environmental protections. Weakening protections for the benefit of industrial extraction threatens this long-term economic engine in favor of short-term gain. Beyond the ecological and economic concerns, this issue raises fundamental legal and fiduciary obligations under the public trust doctrine. Louisiana’s coastal waters and the fisheries they support are not private assets—they are public trust resources held by the State for the benefit of all citizens. As trustees, both the Legislature and LDWF have an affirmative duty to manage these resources prudently, prevent their depletion, and ensure their long-term sustainability for present and future generations. For these reasons, I respectfully urge the Committee to:

1. Support and advance HB 855, HB 757, HB 872, HB 886, and SB 186;
2. Exercise legislative oversight of the LDWF decision to reduce buffer zones;
3. Reinstate and protect science-based nearshore buffers; and,
4. On a go-forward basis, ensure that Louisiana’s menhaden fishery is managed with transparency, accountability, and long-term sustainability in mind.

Louisiana’s coastal fisheries are a defining public asset and a cornerstone of its culture and economy. Decisions made now will determine whether these resources are preserved or diminished for future generations. I urge you to act accordingly. The industrial removal of over one billion pounds of menhaden annually from our waters presents a direct threat to the health and sustainability of our ecosystem’s entire food web and thus, our state’s overall economic health. I urge you to act accordingly.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Link to Hearing Stream

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The chairman of both the House NRC and Senate NRC have taken multiple donations. The prevailing thought is that HB 855 isn't getting out of the house committee, but if it does the senate committee will kill it. Landry has threatened legislators over this issue. He won't sign 855 if it reaches his desk. We need a coalition of fisherman and sportsmen to put pressure on him. Not enough opposition at the moment.

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Definitely a shame as there is almost universal support for increased regulation of the menhaden industry (outside of Daybrook and Omega employees); but the rulemakers are bought and paid for.

email sent. I don't have high hopes...

HB855 passes committee 8-7.

edit: had the # wrong.

I’ll be shocked if any of them pass.