Why It Matters: The 2026 legislative session has recently adjourned in Louisiana, and lawmakers took action on one of the most important fisheries management issues facing the state: commercial menhaden harvest. Following years of concern from recreational anglers, coastal communities, and conservation advocates, several bills were introduced and signed into law to improve transparency, accountability, and management of Louisiana’s commercial menhaden fishery.
Highlights:
- A handful of bills impacting the menhaden industry were introduced this session, with three of them successfully being signed into law by Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus Member Governor Jeff Landry.
- The Louisiana Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus (Caucus) introduced several pieces of legislation pertaining to the commercial menhaden industry, and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) supported the legislation as it made its way through the legislative process.
- The legislation addresses enforcement, transparency, harvest reporting, vessel monitoring, fishing locations, and harvest limits for the commercial menhaden industry.
Louisiana’s coastal waters support world-class recreational fishing opportunities that contribute significantly to the state’s economy and outdoor heritage. As concerns have grown regarding the impacts of commercial menhaden harvest on coastal ecosystems and recreational fisheries, members of the Louisiana Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus introduced legislation aimed at strengthening management of the fishery.
In 2025, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission voted to reduce commercial menhaden buffer zones in several areas of the coast, decreasing the distance purse seine vessels must remain from shore from one-half mile to one-quarter mile. The decision generated significant opposition from recreational anglers and coastal stakeholders who argued that Louisiana already maintains some of the least restrictive menhaden regulations in the Gulf region. While neighboring states such as Texas and Mississippi maintain larger buffer zones, Alabama and Florida prohibit commercial menhaden harvest in state waters entirely.
In response to these concerns, Caucus members were successful in passing the following bills that improve oversight and management of the fishery:
- HB 757 by Caucus Member Representative Vincent Cox: increases penalties for violations of commercial menhaden buffer zone regulations.
- HB 872 by National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC) Executive Council Member and Caucus Co-Chair Representative Jerome Zeringue: requires all commercial menhaden vessels to utilize Automatic Identification System (AIS) tracking technology.
- HB 886 by Caucus Member Representative Joe Orgeron: makes commercial menhaden harvest data publicly available.
Together, these measures seek to provide greater transparency, improve enforcement capabilities, enhance accountability within the commercial fleet, and ensure that menhaden management decisions are informed by reliable harvest data.
CSF will continue working alongside the Louisiana Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus and conservation partners such as the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Coastal Conservation Association Louisiana, and the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust to advance science-based fisheries management and protect Louisiana’s recreational fishing opportunities and coastal resources for future generations.