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Committee advances bill to make aggregated menhaden harvest data public
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Summary
HB 886, sponsored by Vice Chair Ozeron, would allow season-long aggregated catch totals for the menhaden reduction fishery to be made public; the committee reported the bill favorable after supporters stressed transparency and an industry witness requested removing size-sampling requirements.
The House Natural Resources Committee on April 8 reported HB 886 favorable after members heard from conservation groups, fishing guides and industry. The bill would carve out an exception to confidentiality rules so that whole-season menhaden catch totals can be published in aggregated form.
Sponsor Vice Chair Representative Ozeron said the bill responds to confusion in earlier reporting and to statutory confidentiality language. He told the committee that the department helped write the measure to ensure seasonal totals are publicly available: “They...helped me write HB 886 in order to basically give the allowance for the menhaden whole season catch totals to be made publicly available,” he said.
Rick Owens of the Louisiana Wildlife Federation supported the bill, calling it “a simple but important step toward transparency,” and said policy decisions should be made using data available to the public and legislature. Rad Trasher, CEO of CCA Louisiana, also urged passage so decision-makers have access to the underlying information.
Francois Cottle, speaking for Westbank Fishing, said he did not oppose transparency but requested one change: remove the bill’s size-sampling requirement. Cottle told the committee that the particular size-sampling method specified in the draft yields data the department does not use and imposes burdens on fishermen.
After brief questions and public comment the committee chair reported HB 886 favorable with no opposition recorded at the time of the motion.
