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Louisiana No-Fishing Buffer May Be Preventing Fish Spills
Fully 1 million fewer pogies were spilled in 2024 season compared to the annual average, based on Department of Wildlife and Fisheries data
(BATON ROUGE, La.)—An analysis of more than a decade of fisheries data by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership indicates that recently created near-shore, no-fishing buffers in Louisiana may be reducing the number of pogies spilled from the industrial harvest of this ecologically valuable baitfish – to a mere quarter of the historical average.
Fish spill incidents have generated a significant amount of controversy in the state in recent years due to millions of wasted fish, fouled beaches, and thousands of redfish lost as bycatch, which resulted in regulatory changes enacted in the spring. The likelihood of net tears and spills, due to gear interactions with the seafloor, is higher in shallower waters near shore than when vessels work in deeper waters.
In February 2024, before the commercial pogy fishing season began on April 15, the state’s Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved a half-mile coastwide buffer prohibiting pogy boats from netting in near-shore Louisiana waters, with the buffer extended to 1 and 3 miles in some areas. The same Notice of Intent (NOI) that created the buffer also increased fish spill penalties. A major reason for the NOI was an attempt to reduce the number of fish spilled and spill incidents, in which pogy boat net tears and net abandonments have released an estimated 14.8 million dead pogies – officially known as Gulf menhaden – into state waters over the last decade alone. Other reasons included efforts to reduce bycatch of redfish and other important sportfish, reduce conflicts between commercial and recreational users, and protect sensitive bottom habitat.
To determine if the buffer may be working, TRCP examined publicly available records for fish spills in Louisiana kept by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, which are available from 2013 onwards. The state agency has records of all reported or otherwise validated spill events caused by the two industrial menhaden harvesters, Omega Protein and Daybrook Fisheries.
After the half-mile buffer was enacted, 2024 saw the second-lowest number of fish spilled since records were made available.
The results indicated that, on average, the number of pogies spilled per year from 2013 to 2023 was more than 1.3 million fish, and that there has been a significant upward trend in the number of fish spilled per year. However, after the half-mile buffer was enacted this year, 2024 saw the second-lowest number of fish spilled since records were made available, with only 2013 having fewer estimated losses. Of note is that the number of pogies landed was on par with the past 10 years, even with the buffer zones in place. Further, this year’s estimated number of fish spilled to date is only 350,000, or 26 percent of the annual average, and only 12 percent of the 2.8 million fish lost annually, when averaged over the last two seasons (2022 and 2023).
“This data indicates that the efforts to move the industrial pogy boats into deeper waters to protect nearshore, shallow habitat is paying off,” said Chris Macaluso, director of the Center for Marine Fisheries for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “Few things anger and disgust anglers and beachgoers in Louisiana more than seeing rafts of dead pogies and other fish left by the menhaden reduction industry floating nearshore or washed up on beaches. This year, we have seen far fewer of these spills and anglers have also noted an increase in nearshore forage like pogies, mullet and other fish.”
Gulf menhaden are a critical food source for iconic Louisiana sportfish like redfish and speckled trout. Approximately 1 billion pounds of pogies are harvested by the industrial Gulf of Mexico menhaden fishery each year, mainly from Louisiana waters. Until 2024, pogy boats were allowed to fish closer than 500 yards from Louisiana’s shorelines, where the boats often make contact with the water bottom. With this new buffer reducing the likelihood of negative gear interactions with the shallow seafloor, there has also been less disturbance of potential spawning grounds for redfish and other sportfish.
“Louisianans were fed up with our resources being wasted and shorelines being fouled as a result of these spills, so it is refreshing to see this progress,” said David Cresson, CEO of the Coastal Conservation Association Louisiana. “Thanks to Governor Landry, our Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, and the actions of a handful of brave legislators like Representative Joe Orgeron, we now have more reasonable buffers across our coast. These buffers, along with other important measures, have clearly contributed to the drastic reduction in fish spills.”
A coalition of recreational fishing, wildlife and habitat conservation, and boating organizations led by CCA Louisiana and TRCP has worked for more than five years to increase public awareness about the impacts of Louisiana’s industrial menhaden fishery and advocate for some basic conservation measures, such as the ones included in the Notice of Intent. In 2021, State Rep. Joe Orgeron (R-54) first introduced a bill in the Louisiana Legislature which proposed a nearly identical buffer to the one approved earlier this year, but due to industry opposition, the bill ultimately did not pass.
“This is a great example of the state putting effort into making sure it does what is best for all citizens,” said Angler Action Foundation Executive Director Brett Fitzgerald. “A triple win of decreased bycatch, a reduction of user conflict and maybe, most importantly, less destruction of habitats, is a recipe for continued success.”
TRCP and its partners note that while this fishing season is coming to a close, more spill events could still occur, but that the vast majority of previously recorded spills occurred before October – the last month commercial pogy fishing is allowed in Louisiana each year.
Gulf Menhaden Coalition members include the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), CCA Louisiana, CCA Mississippi, CCA Alabama, CCA Texas, CCA Florida, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Louisiana Charter Boat Association, American Sportfishing Association, National Marine Manufacturers Association, Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, International Game Fish Association, Angler Action Foundation, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Audubon Delta, Guy Harvey Foundation, Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, Mississippi Wildlife Federation, and Wildlife Mississippi.
For more information about the key role pogies and other forage fish play in marine ecosystems, visit TRCP’s forage fish recovery page.
In the Arena: Ryan Sparks
TRCP’s “In the Arena” series highlights the individual voices of hunters and anglers who, as Theodore Roosevelt so famously said, strive valiantly in the worthy cause of conservation.
Ryan Sparks
Hometown: Eight Mile Grove, Nebraska
Occupation: Editor of Quail Forever Journal
Conservation credentials: A long-time freelancer who focused on conservation issues impacting hunters and anglers across America, Sparks is now the editor of Quail Forever Journal.
Ryan Sparks learned to catch bluegills and chase whitetail bucks in southeastern Nebraska, but his work as a full-time freelance writer and photographer for nearly a decade took him to far-flung locations such as Ecuador in pursuit of outdoor stories. As a hunter and angler who finds ways to get outdoors in every season, Sparks is the perfect fit to head up a publication such as the Quail Forever Journal so he can inform and inspire other hunters and conservationists through words and photography.
Here is his story.
I grew up on my family’s farm in southeast Nebraska near the confluence of the Platte and Missouri Rivers. My dad and both grandfathers were passionate quail and pheasant hunters, so my introduction to hunting came naturally.
My first hunting memories are of walking fencerows for quail when I was just old enough to stumble in front of my dad’s pointers and flush coveys of bobwhites. My grandfather on my mom’s side, “Papa,” was also an obsessive duck hunter and fisherman so I grew up going on fishing trips with him for catfish, crappie, and bluegill.
Those initial outdoor experiences formed my love for nature as well as hunting and fishing. I later taught myself about bowhunting, flyfishing, waterfowl, turkeys, trapping, and several other outdoor pursuits.
In college, I took classes that sounded interesting and came out with a double major in history and English. After graduating, I thought I wanted to be a history professor, and applied to study environmental history at Montana State University. I was fortunate to receive a full scholarship and a graduate teaching position at one of the strongest environmental history programs in the country.
Living in Montana opened my eyes to public land, big rivers, and wild country. It also made me realize I didn’t want to pursue a career in academia.
My academic advisor, Michael Reidy, gave me one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received. He told me that no matter what I did after graduate school, I should keep writing. And I did.
For the next decade I built a career as a full-time freelance writer and photographer, focusing on hunting, fishing, wild food, and conservation.
Through my work I’ve had the opportunity to go on some incredible adventures. I’ve traveled the world with a notepad, camera, and either a shotgun or a fly rod (and sometimes both) from Alaska to the Amazon.
“Without a cultural value of nature, there won’t be a voice to speak for it. Hunting and fishing are the greatest ways I know for someone to learn about themselves and their place in nature.”
Hunting, fishing, eating wild game, and conservation are all integral parts of my life. They aren’t hobbies or a lifestyle – they are who I am.
I hope to contribute as much if not more than I take in all aspects of my life, and I certainly hope to achieve that when it comes to hunting and fishing. I find doing habitat work on our family farm as fulfilling as a successful hunt. On a larger level, if I can help advance the conservation mission of Quail Forever by informing and inspiring other hunters and conservationists, I find that extremely rewarding as well.
Working as the editor of Quail Forever Journal is a dream job for me. It combines my greatest passions in life with what I am good at and is fulfilling work.
Simply put, conservation is taking care of the things we love. I love to hear a turkey gobble in the spring. I love to see a covey of quail explode from a thicket. I love to watch whitetails rut in November. I love to catch a stringer of crappie and fry them up for my family.
I know my parents and grandparents loved these things before me and I’m doing my best to make sure my future children will have a chance to love them as well. If we want these things to last, we need to be involved in conservation.
Without a cultural value of nature, there won’t be a voice to speak for it. Hunting and fishing are the greatest ways I know for someone to learn about themselves and their place in nature. They are a key component to our humanity. It is why we feel so alive when we hunt and fish. That exuberant feeling of life is what inspires me as a conservationist.
Working in conservation isn’t just about preserving landscapes; it’s about nurturing the cultural and ecological tapestry that defines who we are and what we value. Without a collective effort to protect these treasures, we risk losing the profound essence of what makes us human.
Photo credits: Ryan Sparks
The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.
In the Arena: Alex Harvey
TRCP’s “In the Arena” series highlights the individual voices of hunters and anglers who, as Theodore Roosevelt so famously said, strive valiantly in the worthy cause of conservation.
Alex Harvey
Hometown: Terry, Mississippi
Occupation: Consulting Forester/Wildlife Biologist
Conservation credentials: Alex Harvey, founder of Legacy Land Management, is a registered professional forester in Mississippi and Alabama with a degree in forestry from Mississippi State University, as well as a land management consultant, hunter, and angler.
Harvey is carrying on the outdoor traditions passed on to him from generations of his family, ranging from herbalism and foraging to rabbit, duck, and deer hunting, and cattle ranching. Alex also helps private landowners, many of them Black, make the most of their properties for wildlife, timber, and ecological resilience.
Here is his story.
Hunting has always been a family and community pastime. It was passed down to me from my dad, his dad, etc. I’m from a very large extended family and community that hunts and has hunted for generations. I have family heirlooms that are evidence that I’m at least a fifth-generation outdoorsman. In my family, it is customary that guns are passed down after someone passes. I was lucky enough to become the successor of most of the family’s shotguns, a rifle, and some special handguns. There’s a story that I tell on the NWF podcast about my grandmother being handed a .32 caliber pistol by my great-grandmother (her new mother-in-law) and told to go chase down a rabbit and shoot it for dinner.
I had the opportunity to hunt with Randy Newberg of Leupold’s Hunt Talk Radio/Fresh Tracks and Hal Herring of the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Podcast & Blast in January 2023. They both came down to Mississippi, and I was able to introduce them to members of the hunting club where my dad hunted in the Mississippi Hill Country and the Delta.
My dad became a member of all African American hunting club there in the early eighties. My brother and I grew up hunting there along with other families. I was able to introduce Randy and Hal to a couple of legends in their own right. That was indeed very special.
Hunting has always been about connection for me. Hunting with loved ones, dear friends. In many ways, I prefer to hunt the lands where I grew up because it helps me feel connected to friends and family that have passed on. So, the Mississippi Hill Country and the Delta, quail hunting in south Mississippi and Alabama, and Louisiana duck hunting are all places I always want to hunt. I’m also open to make new connections and find new favorite places.
“The issue of conservation intersects with economics, thus those communities that have less are sometimes challenged by things that many might not recognize as a barrier. But my work is centered around how to address those challenges and find ways to simply put conservation into practice.”
I chose a career in conservation because I grew up in the outdoors. At the same time, it has helped me to become a better outdoorsman. As a forester, I write silvicultural prescriptions that determine the composition/structure and quality of forests to meet the various needs that society has. By going to Forestry School, I became educated about the life history of a forest based on local and regional factors. This has helped me to better understand what healthy wildlife habitat and healthy wildlife populations look like.
Forest health is a persistent challenge. Having healthy, vigorous, diverse forests that are home to healthy wildlife populations remains a challenge. As it pertains to the landowner clients that I represent, which are largely minority’s or what the US Department of Agriculture identifies as underserved and socially disadvantaged landowners, issues such as lack of clear title/heirs to property create a very difficult hurdle for enrolling in important landowner assistance programs that can help families establish forests and begin the process of creating long-term wealth investments. The issue of conservation intersects with economics, thus those communities that have less are sometimes challenged by things that many might not recognize as a barrier. But my work is centered around how to address those challenges and find ways to simply put conservation into practice.
The aim of conservation is literally to have a healthy and productive planet for current and future generations to live on and benefit from. From the wood fiber that we need to build our homes, to the pastimes that we enjoy in the outdoors, to the food we eat, and the air we breathe, all of these things are vital for our needs as a society. The extra added reality that communities that practice conservation tend to be more stable economically builds an extra level of importance where it pertains to issues of equity and social justice.
Photo credits: Alex Harvey
Learn more about TRCP’s work in the Mississippi River Delta below.
The U.S. House of Representatives Introduces the North American Grasslands Conservation Act
Bill supports the protection of America’s grasslands and shrub-steppe ecosystems
Washington, D.C. – Today, the North American Grasslands Conservation Act was introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Nancy Mace (R – S.C.), Sharice Davids (D – Kan), Brian Fitzpatrick (R – Penn) and Mike Thompson (D – Calif). Once passed, the legislation will be one of the most significant steps for grassland conservation efforts in the 21st century.
“Hunters are among the first to see the effects of habitat loss and degradation, and for decades we’ve seen populations of bobwhite quail, prairie chickens, pronghorn and other grassland wildlife suffer,” said Aaron Field, TRCP’s director of private lands conservation. “It’s long past time to replicate on grasslands the proven model of voluntary, incentive-based conservation that has boosted waterfowl populations for nearly 35 years. The North American Grasslands Conservation Act puts us on that path. We applaud the leadership of Representatives Mace, Davids, Fitzpatrick, and Thompson and look forward to working with decision-makers on both sides of the aisle to advance this smart, proven conservation solution.”
More than 70 percent of America’s tallgrass, mixed grass, and shortgrass prairies have vanished, followed by the precipitous decline of grassland bird populations – more than 30 percent since 1966. Additionally, grazing lands that have sustained generations of ranchers are dwindling and species from bobwhite quail and pheasants to monarch butterflies and elk are struggling to navigate landscapes they used to call home.
The Grasslands Act would kickstart the voluntary protection and restoration of grasslands and sagebrush-steppe ecosystems – and the livelihoods and wildlife dependent upon them. Functionally, the legislation is modeled after the successful North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) and would create a landowner-driven, voluntary, incentive-based program to conserve America’s critically imperiled grasslands. There’s urgency to maintain these grassland biomes for agriculture, wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration and for future generations while supporting ranchers, farmers, Tribal Nations, sportsmen and women and rural communities.
The concept of a Grasslands Act was first introduced in the U.S. Senate during the 117th Congress, led by Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo). This new U.S. House version has some key changes aligning it more closely with NAWCA, improving tribal provisions, and making it more bipartisan.
“The United States has over 125 million acres of grasslands that are threatened, and right here in South Carolina, we see firsthand how important conservation is to the health and beauty of our natural ecosystems,” Mace said. “Our office has made a promise to preserve this beauty, not just for today, but for future generations.”
“In Kansas, we have grassland prairies that are well known throughout the Great Plains for their beautiful landscapes and scenic hiking trails, but grasslands once covered millions of acres across North America, stretching from coast to coast,” Davids said. “Grasslands are vital to ranchers and producers, Tribes, and folks who love spending time outdoors. They’re critical habitat for countless species of birds, important pollinators, and treasured animals like the bison. And, they’re crucial to fighting the effects of climate change, bolstering our food security, and combatting extreme weather. I’m excited for this opportunity to highlight the protection of our grasslands and bipartisan solutions that build off of successful public-private partnerships.”
“Grasslands are vital to the livelihoods of our nation’s ranchers and the health of our native wildlife – yet they remain endangered. It’s great to join my colleagues to introduce the bipartisan North American Grasslands Act to invest in voluntary, incentive-based programs to help farmers, ranchers, Tribal Nations, sportsmen and women, and state and local governments preserve, rehabilitate, and responsibly manage our grasslands for generations to come,” Thompson said.
“Grasslands are among the most endangered ecosystems in the word, with over 70 percent of America’s tallgrass, mixed grass, and shortgrass prairies now gone,” Fitzpatrick said. “Our grasslands are vital for the survival of farmers and rural communities across Pennsylvania and our nation, which is why I am championing this critical piece of bipartisan, bicameral legislation. By establishing a landowner-drive, incentive-based program and investing restoration programs, the North American Grasslands Conservation Act will protect essential habitats that support our American farmers, ranchers, and Tribal Nation s and revitalize these crucial ecosystems, ensuring they continue to sustain wildlife and rural communities for generations to come.”
More than 45 organizations are collaborating in support of the Grasslands Act. A full roster of those groups can be found at www.ActforGrasslands.org. Additionally, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has partnered with the coalition to develop the www.MapForGrasslands.org website, which provides a powerful tool to visualize the loss of grasslands habitat.
The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
TRCP has partnered with Afuera Coffee Co. to further our commitment to conservation. $4 from each bag is donated to the TRCP, to help continue our efforts of safeguarding critical habitats, productive hunting grounds, and favorite fishing holes for future generations.
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