The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) recently established menhaden reporting regulations (based on legislation during the 2022 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature) that requires menhaden companies to report information on their catch beginning with the 2023 commercial menhaden season.
To ensure accurate reporting and fish measuring, LDWF conducted ride-alongs on menhaden vessels during fishing operations and hosted a series of training workshops with menhaden vessel crews and captains to help them collect and report data about their catches more accurately.
LDWF staff observed fishing operations on vessels on May 8 and May 23, 2023. Department staff also hosted two workshops with industry during June, with one additional workshop scheduled to be held in Moss Point during July.
“The department is serious about this legislative and commission directive, and about obtaining quality data from the menhaden industry under this legal mandate,” said LDWF Assistant Secretary of Fisheries Patrick Banks. “We thank the two menhaden companies and their employees for their willingness to cooperate in this effort, and for their commitment to high-quality data.”
Workshop photo cutline: LDWF hosted a training workshop on Sunday, June 25, to train the Daybrook Fisheries Captains to accurately measure menhaden.