Sponsored Content
This article is brought to you by the Louisiana Commercial Fishing Coalition, LLC.
Louisiana’s working coast has long depended on the Gulf menhaden fishery – a sustainable industry that supports more than 2,000 jobs, contributes $419 million annually, generates $25 million in state and local tax revenue, and purchases $62 million in goods and services from 32 parishes. Yet, despite this enormous positive impact, recent regulatory changes threaten to undermine this lifeline industry and the communities that depend on it.
At issue is the decision to extend the state’s menhaden buffer zone in recent years. Historically, the fishery operated along the Inside/Outside Line and Double Rig Line – longstanding boundaries for commercial fishing that had already limited where menhaden vessels could operate. In 2021, the buffer zone was extended by one-quarter mile, and again in 2024 to a half-mile from the original line.
While these changes may sound incremental, the impact has been anything but small. The half-mile restriction has excluded thousands of acres of historically productive fishing grounds. In just 3 years, the industry experienced a 25% reduction in fish caught. For an industry already operating on tight margins, this loss is unsustainable, harming not only the companies that fish for menhaden but also thousands of Louisiana families whose livelihoods depend on this fishery.
An Industry That Fuels Local Economies
Louisiana’s menhaden industry is powered by two companies – Westbank Fishing out of Empire, LA (Plaquemines Parish) and Ocean Harvesters out of Abbeville, LA (Vermilion Parish). Contrary to the misinformation that has been spread, both these companies are U.S.-based, U.S.-owned and are totally controlled by U.S. citizens. Together with the two processing companies (Daybrook Fisheries and Omega Protein), they employ more than 800 people directly on vessels and in processing plants, while another 1,200 jobs ripple across rural communities through suppliers, service companies, and transportation providers. These are stable, year-round jobs that anchor small-town economies in parishes where economic opportunities are limited.
Beyond economics, menhaden plays a critical role in global supply chains. These small, oily fish are processed into fishmeal and fish oil essential for petfood, animal feed, and aquaculture. Without a reliable domestic menhaden supply, the United States would be forced to rely on imports, raising costs for consumers and weakening food security.
Bycatch Numbers Tell The Real Story
Bycatch Numbers Tell the Real Story Too often, buffer zone expansions have been driven by perception rather than science. Proponents cite concerns about bycatch, particularly the unintended capture of red drum. But Louisiana’s own $1 million bycatch study tells a different story – one that underscores how sustainable and responsible the menhaden fishery is.
The study found the menhaden fleet accounts for just 3.4% of red drum caught. In addition, the fishery operated well below the 5% total bycatch set by the State of Louisiana as a maximum bycatch threshold. By contrast, the recreational sector – nearly 407,000 licensed saltwater anglers in 2023- 24 according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries – accounts for 96.6% of all red drum mortalities off Louisiana’s coast. In fact, LDWF data show red drum are experiencing overfishing driven by this recreational pressure.
What’s more, the bycatch study found that 84% of red drum survive after being rolled out of the nets after the completion of menhaden sets. Industry-led innovations are driving this survival rate even higher. The adoption of new hose-end cage technology industry-wide , for example, has reduced the menhaden industry’s red drum mortality by 24% in 2025.
The menhaden fleet has also invested heavily in improving gear to prevent past issues. Since 2023, companies have spent $6.5 million upgrading to Spectra/Plateena nets, which are stronger, more durable, and significantly reduce net tears that once led to unintended spills.
Taken together, the data show a fishery that is meeting bycatch standards, innovating to improve, and ensuring red drum populations are not negatively impacted.
The Myth of Predator Dependence
Another argument often cited against menhaden harvesting is that predator fish like speckled trout and red drum depend almost exclusively on menhaden as food. Yet new research disproves this claim. A University of Southern Mississippi study found Gulf predator species do not exclusively rely on menhaden. Instead, they consume a variety of prey, including shrimp, crabs, and other forage fish.
This evidence underscores that the ecological role of menhaden, while important, is not the sole factor sustaining predator populations. The buffer zone expansions, therefore, do little to protect prized game fish but impose enormous costs on the menhaden industry and the communities it supports.
A Call for Balance
Louisiana has long prided itself on balancing conservation with economic opportunity. The recent half-mile buffer zone extension has introduced quantifiable challenges for the menhaden fishery, limiting areas where vessels can operate and reducing access to historically productive waters.
The industry remains a significant contributor to the state’s economy and operates under state science-based management standards, which are designed to ensure sustainability.
For the thousands of Louisiana workers, families, and communities connected to this fishery, the issue is more than abstract policy. Menhaden has long been a resource that feeds people, pets, and economies, and decisions around its management will help shape how it continues to play that role in the future.
