2022 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE BILL NO. 447
BY SENATOR HENSGENS AND REPRESENTATI VE GAROFALO
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 56:325.5, relative to the commercial menhaden fishery; to provide for
3 commercial menhaden harvest reporting; to provide for required data; to provide for
4 confidentiality; to provide for reports to legislative committees; to provide for the
5 powers and duties of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission; to provide
6 for a definition; and to provide for related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 56:325.5 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
9 ยง325.5. Commercial menhaden harvest reporting
10 A. The commission shall promulgate rules and regulations, in accordance
11 with the Administrative Procedure Act, that require companies taking
12 menhaden by vessels equipped with purse seines for the purpose of reduction
13 fishing to report monthly, beginning in May 2023, commercial menhaden
14 harvest reports. The rules and regulations shall provide for the following:
15 (1) Monthly reporting shall include the following data for each set:
16 (a) Location data in degrees, minutes, seconds, with a defined datum,
17 determined by global positioning satellite (GPS) navigational instrument
18 reading.
19 (b) Estimated volume of harvest.
20 (c) Length of the menhaden estimated based on a sample of the harvest.
21 In addition, the rule shall provide for the size of the sample and the method
22 used to estimate the length.
23 (2) The form, manner, and the date of the month the department receives
24 the monthly report.
ACT No. 759
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 447 ENROLLED
1 (3) Procedures to preserve the confidentiality of any data, information,
2 or statistics submitted or collected to comply with federal procedures as set
3 forth by the United States Department of Commerce or its agencies for
4 confidentiality of fishing statistics collected from individuals or firms by the
5 Department of Commerce or its agencies. Any information the department
6 provides to the public shall not indicate the captain, vessel, or company.
7 B. Beginning February 10, 2024, the department shall annually report
8 to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and the House Committee on
9 Natural Resources and Environment the commercial menhaden harvest from
10 the prior year based upon the aggregated data from the monthly reports.
11 C. For the purposes of this Section, a "set" means when a purse seine is
12 deployed and encircles a school of menhaden, regardless of whether those fish
13 are reduced to possession by transferring to the mother ship or steamer.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.