Pogey Buffer Zone NOI Opens for Public Remark

In October, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Fee authorised a Discover of Intent (NOI) that established a coastal buffer zone for the industrial harvest of menhaden AKA pogies. The zone would limit pogey boats from getting into a 1-mile zone off all the Louisiana shoreline and three miles from Grand Isle and the world between Holly Seaside and Rutherford Seaside in western Louisiana. Within the NOI can also be guidelines for reporting and clean-up of fish spills by the menhaden harvesters.

David Cresson of CCA Louisiana is a proponent of the brand new restrictions and mentioned, “These prolonged coastwide buffers will permit for the menhaden discount business to make their obligatory harvest whereas defending our fragile shorelines and the fish and wildlife that reside there. We have now all seen the impacts that this business has on our coastal areas, particularly when the operations happen in very shallow waters.”

Daybrook Fisheries and Omega Protein are two corporations that harvest pogeys alongside the Louisiana Coast. To this date they’re answerable for 18 particular person fish spills in 2023. The spills have allegedly wasted thousands and thousands of pogies and 1000’s of redfish and different bycatch. In July, a vessel fishing for Daybrook was cited for illegally harvesting 86,000 kilos of menhaden “nicely inside” the ¼ mile buffer zone. Final September, an Omega crew lower and deserted an unlimited web containing an estimated 900,000 menhaden and did not mark the damaging, deserted gear. Every year, Daybrook and Omega ships from Mississippi and Louisiana harvest billions of pogies and kill 1000’s of spawning redfish in Louisiana waters. That is all coming at a time when fingers are being pointed on the leisure fishermen of Louisiana for overfishing of redfish.

Now, it’s time to listen to from the leisure fishermen! The NOI has entered into the general public remark interval. It’s essential that your voice be heard on this concern! Please ship your feedback immediately, expressing your help of the Wildlife and Fisheries Fee and their Menhaden Buffer NOI. Click on HERE to submit your feedback.

Keith Lusher

Keith Lusher is an award successful outside journalist that resides in Covington, Louisiana. He owns and operates NorthshoreFishingReport.com and writes a weekly outside column for the Slidell Unbiased Newspaper. He additionally writes for the St.Tammany Parish Tourism Fee’s LouisianaNorthshore.com and Louisiana Northshore Discover Journal. He’s the previous host of The Northshore Fishing Report Radio Present and is on the board of the Louisiana Out of doors Writers Affiliation. Keith contributes to quite a few publications each on-line and in print and prides himself on selling South Louisiana’s distinctive fishery.