Major Menhaden Management Bills Head to House Committee Hearing

This morning, Wednesday, April 8, 2026, the Louisiana House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment is holding a public hearing on four important bills aimed at improving oversight of the commercial menhaden reduction fishery. The meeting begins at 9:00 a.m. in Committee Room 4 at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge.

The bills under consideration are:

• HB 757 (Rep. Cox) – Strengthens enforcement by increasing penalties for violations of existing menhaden buffer zones. • HB 855 (Rep. Orgeron) – Establishes minimum depth requirements (22+ feet) for purse seines, protecting sensitive nearshore habitats and reducing bycatch of recreationally important species like red drum and spotted seatrout. • HB 872 (Rep. Zeringue) – Requires all commercial menhaden reduction vessels to use Automatic Identification System (AIS) tracking, greatly improving transparency and real-time monitoring. • HB 886 (Rep. Orgeron) – Enhances mandatory reporting and data collection, giving fisheries managers the reliable information needed for science-based decisions.

The American Saltwater Guides Association (ASGA) strongly supports this package of reforms. In our January 23, 2026 comment letter on the proposed buffer zone changes, we urged the state to move beyond the current self-regulated system and implement practical guardrails addressing data gaps, bycatch mortality, habitat protection, and long-term sustainability. These four bills take concrete steps in that direction by adding real accountability, habitat safeguards, vessel tracking, and better data — all critical pieces for responsible management of the Gulf menhaden fishery.

While we continue to advocate for additional measures (such as an annual quota based on recent harvest averages, expanded time/area closures, and standardized gear modifications to improve bycatch survival), today’s hearing represents meaningful progress. The reduction industry has operated for years with limited biological oversight; these bills help close those gaps without shutting down economic activity.

We encourage Louisiana anglers and guides to follow the hearing live via the House streaming link and to submit written comments if you support stronger menhaden management. ASGA will be monitoring the outcome closely and will provide updates as the bills move forward.

https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Video.aspx

The meeting is in Committee Room 4 at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge, and it is being streamed live on these official House pages. If the feed isn’t active yet, just refresh the page a few minutes before 9:00 a.m. CST.

Healthy menhaden stocks benefit the entire Gulf ecosystem and the recreational fisheries that depend on them. Today is a step in the right direction toward that goal.