Help preserve the best Redfishery in the world!

Help ban the harvest or killing of Louisiana’s breeder redfish. Also encourage the Louisiana WLF Commission to adjust the regulations to what science says needs to be done to have a healthy and sustainable Redfishery.

Regardless If you are a out-of-state or resident fishing license holder. Even a business thats revenue is dependent on this amazing resource your voice needs to be heard. Please sign this petition!

This iconic gamefish has been in trouble in the past. When the blackened Redfish craze was at its peak there was a commercial purse-seine fishery. The Redfish population was decimated. There was action taken to ban this method of harvest. The Redfishery came back vibrant and healthy. Redfish need our help again!

 

 

 

Louisiana is home to the worlds best Redfishing. This species is crucial to recreational/charter fishing and all the businesses that are associated with the sport. Recreational/charter fishing brings in billions of dollars to Louisiana and over 30,000 jobs. Many coastal communities lifeblood is recreational/charter fishing. If we lose this incredible fishery we could potentially lose some of our unique and amazing culture.

Recreational fishing is not the only thing affecting this fishery. There are issues that are caused by mankind and others by Mother Nature. The issues that we can control need to be held accountable. Both from the recreational and commercial sector. Recreational anglers need to lead by example and do their part to help preserve this incredible resource.

According to the 2022 Redfish stock assessment that LDWF released the species is currently experiencing overfishing. If regulations are not changed the species will become technically an overfished fishery.

 

Here is some important information from the stock assessment.

• SPR (spawning potential ratio) began trending downward in 2005.

• Recent recreational landings at lowest level observed since the
1980’s.

• Current recruitment estimate is at lowest level observed and have been declining since 1994.

• According to LA Creel harvest data since 2018 recreational/charter harvest numbers are declining an average of 29% a year!!!!

• The annual harvest of Bullreds for recreational/charter has been increasing. Currently recreational/charter Bullred harvest is roughly 17% of annual catch. So in 2022 78,000 Bullreds were harvested with rod and reel!

• LDWF recommendation is a minimum 35% reduction in yield which corresponds to a possibility of rebuilding above target SPR by 2050. Which means the banning of killing or harvesting Bullreds is not enough. Other regulations changes are needed to get back to sustainable historical stock levels.

• The assessment was peer reviewed by other Gulf state’s Marine Fisheries agencies, NOAA Fisheries, and outside stock assessment scientists and was well received with no major technical issues.

 

 

 

 

Now is the time to act! If we use these indicators found in the stock assessment and what the guides are seeing the water. We can save the best Redfishery in the world.  With a still overall healthly fishery if we make adjustments to regulations the Louisiana Redfish could come back to historical levels for generations to come.

 

Several other important facts are.

• Regulations on Redfish have not been changed in 34 years.

• Redfishing effort/pressure in Louisiana for the past 10 years has grown exponentially due to the lack of success fishing for other popular species.

• There is no penalties or accountability for the Bullreds killed by the commercial Menhaden Fishery!

• There is no buffer zone for the commercial menhaden fishery during the crucial Bullred spawn.

• Current recreational regulations for Redfish are; 5 fish per person with a 16-27 inch slot. One fish being allowed over the slot. The guides limit is also allowed. No penalties for commercial fishing entities for killing Bullreds. 

• Bullreds food quality is far less supprior than slot Redfish. They are worth way more to the resource for giving back to their population. They are worth thousands of dollars for catch and release anglers. 

• A female Bullred during spawning season roughly produces 2 million eggs per spawn with spawning about every 7 days.

• Bullreds have a very high survival rate for catch and release fishing due to how tough and hearty they are.

• 75% of charter captains want regulations changed to secure their livelihood and heritage.

• Redfish reach sexual maturity at roughly 5 years of age. So the longer you wait on changes the damage is amplified on what  it does to the fishery. Redfish do not give back to the stock until 5 years of age. For example speckled trout reach sexually maturity at roughly 1 years old and give back to the stock.

 

 

This past month Senator Bret Allian authored a Senate Concurrent Resolution. The resolution urges the WLF Commission to establish regulations making the harvest or killing of bull reds off limits, and to set penalties and fines for anyone who does so. SCR 46 by Sen. Bret Allain passed both the house and the senate. This will now go in front of the WLF Commission most likely in July.

Please consider signing this petition urging the WLF Commission to establish regulations making the harvest or killing of bull reds off limits, and to set penalties and fines for anyone who does so. Also to adjust other regulations to rebuild this troubled fishery to a healthy and sustainable level.