For generations, Louisiana’s menhaden fishing industry has supported small coastal communities and harvested a sustainable resource while employing responsible fishing practices that protect the Gulf’s ecosystem. Through science-based management, innovative technology, and strict regulations, we ensure that menhaden remains abundant for future generations.
The commercial menhaden fishery uses the purse seine method, a specially designed technique that minimizes environmental impact. Here’s how the process works:
- Spotting the School: Fishing vessels use spotter airplanes to locate large schools of menhaden.
- Setting the Net: The vessel encircles the school with a purse seine net, which closes at the bottom to form a contained "purse."
- Hauling in the Catch: A winch system pulls in the net, and a vacuum pump transfers the fish onto the boat while safely returning any larger marine species, like turtles, sharks, or dolphins, back to the water.
- Sorting and Processing: Fish are sorted using bycatch reduction devices, which separate non-target species before the catch is transported for processing onshore.
Contentions that menhaden fishing has unintended environmental consequences are emphatically rejected by scientific studies. A 2021 study published in Conservation Biology found that imposing additional catch limits on species like menhaden would not significantly increase predator populations. Similarly, a 2017 study in Fisheries Research confirmed that predator populations are influenced more by environmental factors than by fishing, and that forage fish targeted by predators are not the same as those typically caught by commercial fisheries.
The menhaden industry removes less than 2% of the total Gulf menhaden biomass each year—far below levels that would negatively impact the ecosystem. Stock assessments confirm that menhaden populations are not overfished, ensuring a sustainable fishery that maintains a critical food source for marine predators like redfish, speckled trout, and dolphins. Since 2019, the fishery has been certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council, the gold standard for seafood sustainability.
Louisiana’s menhaden industry operates under strict federal and state regulations, ensuring responsible practices that support the environment and coastal economies. Calls for additional restrictions lack scientific backing and threaten the livelihoods and communities of thousands of workers who depend on this industry.
Through significant investments in sustainable fishing methods, reducing bycatch, and maintaining healthy menhaden populations, the Louisiana commercial menhaden industry continues to balance conservation with economic prosperity. Sustainable fishing isn’t just about the environment—it’s about people, communities, and Louisiana’s coastal economy. Let’s ensure that science, not politics, drives the future of this fishery.
