At their monthly meeting this coming Thursday, January 6th, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission will vote to enact a 1/4 mile buffer zone for menhaden harvest as proposed at their October meeting. According to its author, the intent of the regulation is to avoid user conflict between recreational anglers and commercial pogey boats.
As our conservation partners CCA Louisiana, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and others point out, this proposal was put forward by the menhaden industry itself and is unacceptable. It’s NOT about user conflict… it’s about conservation. The overwhelming majority of spawning of inshore and nearshore species takes place in the littoral zone, which in Louisiana is at least a mile out or more. In addition, this area contains greater concentrations of menhaden – needed for the high protein requirements of spawning fish. There is scientific evidence that a significant reduction of menhaden in spawning areas is correlated to reduction of spawning biomass of predatory species.
While the GCC would much prefer a one-mile buffer, we are in agreement with our partners that a 1/2-mile buffer is more acceptable to the Commission. For that reason, we support an amendment to the Notice of Intent (NOI) to extend 1/2 mile.
The FFI Gulf Coast Council needs your help to make this happen! Ask the Commission to amend the NOI to a minimum of 1/2 mile. Email your comments to comments@wlf.la.gov before Wednesday at 2pm. You may also make your comments on Thursday, 9:30am at LDWF Headquarters in Baton Rouge.
