The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) approved a Notice of Intent (NOI) to change the commercial menhaden reporting requirements as a result of Act 444 of the 2026 legislative session. Companies taking menhaden by vessels equipped with purse seines for the purpose of reduction are required to provide monthly harvest reports. This NOI removes the requirement to report length measurements, in millimeters fork length, of 15 randomly selected menhaden (5 from the beginning of set pump out, 5 from the middle of set pump out, and 5 from the end of set pump out).
Additionally, to conform to Louisiana R.S. 56:325.5(D) (enacted via Act 444 of the 2026 legislative session), this NOI establishes that commercial menhaden harvest reports provided to legislative committees are not confidential.
A copy of the NOI is available here.
Interested persons may submit written comments relative to the proposed rule to Jason Adriance, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, P.O. Box 98000, Baton Rouge, LA 70898-9000, or via e-mail to jadriance@wlf.la.gov by 3:00 p.m. on October 26, 2026.
