The largest commercial fishing industry in the Gulf of Mexico is accidentally killing and discarding more than 22,000 redfish annually in Louisiana waters, according to an independent study released Tuesday, though state regulators noted that is still fewer than the number of dead redfish recreational anglers discard each year.
Scientists with LGL Ecological Research Associates presented results of its “menhaden bycatch study” to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, unveiling the most up-to-date, comprehensive accounting of how the menhaden industry is impacting other fish species in the ecosystem.
Menhaden, also known as pogy, are small foraging fish that live in large shoals off the Gulf Coast. Rich in omega-3 fats and oils, the fish are harvested primarily for pet food, dietary supplements and food ingredients.
Funded with $1 million from the Louisiana Legislature and overseen by the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, the LGL study found menhaden harvesting unintentionally caught an estimated 145 million fish of other species, or bycatch, during the 2024 season, which went from April through October.
Researchers worked aboard commercial pogy boats for seven months counting fish and conducting experiments to determine what kills the bycatch species and what helps them survive. Data was collected from these at-sea observers and electronic monitoring such as on-board cameras.
Although they recorded dozens of different species in the bycatch, the researchers focused much of their attention on redfish, one of the most coveted targets of Gulf Coast recreational anglers.
Much of the unintentionally caught fish is retained and processed along with the menhaden, but a significant portion is discarded back into the sea dead or injured. The total dead fish that menhaden boats discarded last year included an estimated 22,000 redfish, 9,000 black drum, 33,000 catfish and 10,000 sharks, among other species.
Still, the number of redfish killed and discarded by the commercial menhaden industry is less than the number discarded by recreational anglers, according to a Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries news release that compared the new research with separate data that did not appear in the study.
The agency noted the menhaden industry’s dead redfish bycatch accounted for 9.9% of the total redfish harvested in the state. The overwhelming share, 90.1%, are taken by recreational anglers, who keep 78.9% and discard and kill 11.2% of the total redfish, according to the Wildlife and Fisheries Department. The study made no mention of that recreational harvest data.
The research results come just over a year after the state Wildlife and Fisheries Commission placed tighter restrictions on redfish for recreational anglers, citing the species’ declining numbers. The agency lowered the daily catch limit from five to four per person and upped the minimum size limit from 16 inches to 18 inches. The changes drew outcry from charter boat captains who make their living taking clients out to catch redfish.
Some blamed commercial fishing for the decline in redfish numbers. State lawmakers intervened with funding for the new bycatch study and pressed regulators to implement a menhaden exclusion zone that prohibits commercial fishing within a half-mile of land along much of the coastline and 3 miles in select areas.
Rep. Joe Orgeron, R-Cut Off, who has spearheaded much of the menhaden industry legislation, said he was impressed with the study. In a phone interview Wednesday, Orgeron pointed to the finding that surprised him most: Bycatch survival was high for fish released directly from the nets but was very low for fish that enter the pogy boats’ chute systems.
Those chute systems were designed to separate and release larger fish species that are unintentionally caught. When menhaden are corralled into what’s called a purse seine net, the bycatch species are also trapped. Crews use a large hose to vacuum the menhaden onto the boat, and on the front end of the hose is what the industry calls a “shark cage,” which is essentially a large metal screen that’s supposed to prevent larger fish from being vacuumed.
But shark cage designs vary among companies, and the less effective cages do little to stop large fish and sharks from getting sucked into the hose alongside the menhaden, so the catch is pumped through a secondary excluder grate onboard the boat. Serving essentially like a second shark cage, the excluder grate is supposed to separate the bigger fish and then send them down a release chute back into the sea.
However, researchers found most of the larger fish that slip through the hose cage end up being dismembered before they even make it to the secondary excluder grate. So the very system designed to save the fish and release them back into the sea is actually killing them.
This is especially true for redfish, which had a mortality rate of 98% after entering the chute system. Other species had slightly better chances of surviving, but overall the system was a death sentence for the fish, the study found.
The findings have already prompted changes at one of the Gulf’s largest menhaden fleets, Ocean Harvesters. Ben Landry, the company’s vice president of public affairs, said all boats in their fleet now use a more effective hose cage to keep bycatch from entering the chute system.
“We’ve seen some improvements in terms of what fish are coming up the chute,” Landry said in a phone call.
Following Tuesday’s presentation, groups on opposite sides of the issue touted the study as vindication of their position.
Bob Vanasse, spokesperson for the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition, said the study reaffirms that the menhaden industry is sustainable and poses no threat to Louisiana’s redfish populations. He pointed to a news release his organization published highlighting the large percentage of redfish removals attributed to recreational fishing.
“This independent science reaffirms what we’ve always said: the Gulf menhaden fishery is guided by data, not politics or guesswork,” Vanasse said. “These findings must inform any future regulatory decisions. This is a model of how transparency, swift industry action, and investment in better gear deliver real conservation gains without compromising coastal jobs or economies.”
Richard Fischer, who heads the Louisiana Charter Boat Association, said the number of redfish the menhaden industry kills might be smaller in proportion but is still significant when considering other factors.
“I think recreational fishermen would argue that the economic impact they bring to the state, $3.1 billion annually, according to the American Sportfishing Association … is far greater than the economic impact the menhaden industry has on the state,” Fischer said. “There’s also a lot of other non-target species killed by the menhaden industry. Redfish is just the attention grabber.”
Researchers found other animals died after getting caught in the pogy nets. They included three brown pelicans and a laughing sea gull. Several protected species, including a giant manta ray, dolphins and sea turtles were unintentionally caught, but the boat crews were able to save and release them.
Fischer said he hopes the study will help settle the disagreements and allow both sides — the recreational and commercial fisheries — to come together to find a solution that works for everyone.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
