Pogy boats dumped 850,000 fish off Louisiana coast

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Pogy boats dumped 850,000 fish off Louisiana coast, spurring new calls for fishing limits

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Three massive fish spills that coated waves and beaches off the southwest coast of Louisiana last week has renewed calls for tighter restrictions on the menhaden industry.

Two menhaden fishing companies dumped an estimated 850,000 fish in the waters off Cameron Parish during three incidents over four days, the companies confirmed on Wednesday. The fish formed rotting rafts that either floated into deeper water or washed up by the thousands near Holly Beach, one of the few communities in the sparely-populated parish. Amid the dead menhaden, also called pogy, were hundreds of redfish, a species prized by recreational fishers but often snagged as bycatch in massive menhaden nets, potentially contributing to sharp redfish population declines in recent years.

“The menhaden industry likes to talk about how rare these incidents are and how unfortunate they are, but they are simply not rare,” said Chris Macaluso, marine fisheries director for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “And to see hundreds of redfish dead on the beach, you can’t help but be concerned.”

The state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is investigating the incidents. Omega Protein, one of the companies, was cited for failing to report one of the spills within two hours. Wildlife and Fisheries will set Omega's penalty amount once it determines the value of the dead fish. Officials note the violation was for failing to report "the wasting of fish," and not the wasting of fish itself. The two companies say they complied with all other state laws, including a new one that requires them to try to clean up their dead fish.

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It’s unclear how many fish were dead, but the netting process usually takes several minutes, killing most fish before they’re brought on-board the large ‘mother’ ships employed by the industry.

The spills were strikingly similar to an incident in the same area and same time last year. During the second week of September 2022, an Omega boat was overwhelmed by an unexpectedly big catch and had to cut its large net, dumping nearly 1 million menhaden, most of them dead, near Holly Beach.

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Man I wish this got the press it deserves... They've been raping our fisheries for years while other states forbid it. It's terrible and I can't believe we still allow it.

Enough is enough. Find something else to make your cat and dog food out of, or don’t, I really could not care less about the industry or the jobs. Stop raping our fishery and passing the buck to the individual.

I almost took a job years ago with Omega Protein as a pilot/fish spotter. Could have made about $120k in six months.

Glad I didn’t take the job, I’d feel terrible knowing I’m contributing to the decimation of out fish habitat.

The worst part about this is the fine is for failing to report a spill.

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Officials note the violation was for failing to report "the wasting of fish," and not the wasting of fish itself.

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Copied this by Deepwood on the Outdoor Board.

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Rep Joseph Orgeron has put two bills forth to limit the total allowed catch and force these boats to operate father offshore. Both have made it through the house and were referred to the Senate Natural Resource Comittee. HB 1033 in 2022 and HB 567 this year.

1033 was voted by a vote of 4-3 to be delayed to a later session to be heard, a session where they knew it would not be heard. I am trying to find out who those 4 are. I know one of them is Chairman Robert Hensgens of district 26. He has been the main opponent of these bills.

It so happens that one of the two menhaden processing plants in the state is in his district…..needless to say he did not reply to my email.

Senator Bret Allain, one of the two to reply to emails, was a supporter of these bills is trying to find out the end fate of the bill from this year HB 567 for me.

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We allow two foreign companies carte blanch to do as they please because as usual in our State, they pay off the right politicians. No other State along the Gulf or East Coast allows pogie boats to operate indiscriminately, or mostly operate at all. They're not allowed.

Senator Robert Hensgens of district 26 in Abbeville has been the main opponent of these bills. He's the pogie boat industries protector and I imagine it has to do with $$$$ going into his campaign coffers.

He never allows meaningful bills regulating the industry to get out of his committee for wider consideration and a vote.

I've seen these boats destroy hundreds of redfish as bycatch multiple times near Grand Isle, Venice and Delacroix over the years.

It's a shame our State's regulations and public resources are still for sale to the highest bidder.

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So what are we mad at, the contamination of a spill, and not meeting state reporting requirements, or is it the evidence of what occurs in routine practice in terms of by-catch and impact on our fisheries, especially when compared to the scale of impact that recreational fishermen are alleged to have?

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If there redfish limits, and the pogy boats are catching redfish in their nets even as a by-product, how are the boats / pilots / companies not being hit with fines and penalties for exceeding redfish limits?

This N La baw gives no fricks.

The CCA dude was on 1130 KWKH yest crying about muh dead fish.

FIFY

It’s an unregulated free for all for corporations….

Why does LA allow people to rape our resources?

People like to talk about not being able to survive without the fed, but they are robbing us.