After passing a State House of Representatives vote, three menhaden bills are headed to the State Senate floor after passage in the Senate Natural Resources Committee last week.
The three House bills聽鈥� HB 757, HB 872 and HB 886聽鈥斅爏eek civil penalties for menhaden operations fishing inside established buffer zones; that all menhaden boats, including the mother boat and smaller vessels, be equipped with tracking devises; and, a move demanding public access to the data for the amount of menhaden taken from 抖阴h waters.
The latter comes after a handful of conservation organizations were denied access to what the menhaden industry聽鈥斅爐wo foreign-owned companies聽鈥� and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries call 鈥渉arvest data.鈥�
Feather in the cap
Wildlife and Fisheries鈥� Enforcement Division is the third such state enforcement agency to earn聽North American Wildlife Law Enforcement accreditation joining cohorts in Florida and Alabama with this distinction.
It means Louisian鈥檚 agents complied with 鈥渕ore than 70 rigorous, nationally accepted standards specifically developed for the profession.
鈥淭his milestone demonstrates their dedication to operating at the highest standards in service to the public and the natural resources they protect,鈥� NAWLEA chairman Col. John Cobb said. Cobb heads Virginia鈥檚 Department of Wildlife Resources.
Calling it a milestone for his division, state enforcement chief Col. Stephen Clark said, 鈥淥ur agents and staff have devoted countless hours to reviewing, strengthening and modernizing our policies and operations to ensure we meet the highest national standards.鈥�
Add 238
The annual聽Boating Lagniappe Day held at nine statewide locations certified 238 boats during last weekend鈥檚 events.
As a reminder, boaters born after Jan. 1, 1984, need a state-certified state boating certificate to operate a motorboat powered by a engine/motor in excess of 10 horsepower.
A big step
Josiah Shockley and Landon Watts cut their fishing teeth first in age-group club tournaments and then competed for the Livingston Parish Bassmasters during their high school days.
Today, they stand atop the college bass fishing world after winning the Strike King Bassmaster College Series聽that ended Thursday on Oklahoma鈥檚 Kerr Reservoir.
Fishing with the Northwestern State team, Shockley and Watts came from sixth place after the first round to outweigh the other 188 college teams in the field and earn a spot in the Bassmaster College Championship coming up in late August.
The winners entered Day 2 with an 18-pound first-round catch, then added 17 pounds, 12 ounces for a 35-12 total.
鈥淭his is absolutely one of the best feelings ever,鈥� Watts told the Bassmaster reporter. 鈥淭his is something we have worked for and put in so much time on the water for. To be able to do it today in such a special way and with a style that is so normal for us, it was awesome.鈥�
They said they cast a 鈪�-ounce black/blue Strike King jig with a Zoom Speed Craw trailer and, 鈥淲e had to drag it super, super slow,鈥� Watts said.
The commission
Thursday鈥檚聽Wildlife and Fisheries Commission meeting will hear data from the state Shrimp Study biologists then determine opening days for the spring inshore shrimp season, a decision that has dominated every May meeting for more than 50 years.
The meeting is set to convene at 9:30 a.m. at state Wildlife and Fisheries headquarters on Quail Drive in Baton Rouge.
Comments, please
The Gulf Council is asking for fishermen across the Gulf for advice 鈥渢o gain a better understanding of what's happening on the water.鈥�
The publication listed items like changes in the Gulf鈥檚 ecosystem and any 鈥渆nvironmental problems, habitat concerns, species interactions, changes in the distribution or abundance of fish, or any other unusual ecosystem patterns you have observed.鈥�
The advisory indicated the council wants to understand how any or all of these issues affect the overall fishery along with businesses and fishing communities.
After listening to 抖阴h coastal and offshore anglers, it seems major concerns are with habitat and species interaction, the latter dealing with an increased abundance of sharks in coastal and deep-water areas and dolphins in coastal and inshore waters.
You can submit comments to the “Fisherman Feedback Tool for Fishery Ecosystem Issues” link on the Gulf Council’s website:
The deadline is May 31.