The American Saltwater Guides Association Calls Upon Governor John Bel Edwards to Save Louisiana Redfish by Implementing the Proposed Notice of Intent for an 18"-24" Slot with No Guide Limit

Highlights Critical Importance of LOI to Protect Redfish and the More than $300,0000,000 Industry They Represent for the State of Louisiana

SLIDELL, La., Nov. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Saltwater Guides Association (the "ASGA"), a coalition of forward-thinking guides, small business owners and like-minded anglers who understand the value of keeping fish in the water, today urged Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards to IMMEDIATELY VETO the November 7 decision by the Louisiana Joint Oversight Committee to vote down the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission Letter of Intent (the "LOI") to change the red drum limit to an 18-inch minimum size limit total length and a 24-inch maximum size limit total length. 

The LOI, which proposes the tightened slot limit and eliminates daily guide creel limits, significantly increases the probability of a successful rebuild, reducing the projected timeframe to rebuild the stock of Red Drum in Louisiana by 21 years. In doing so, it protects a more than $300,000,000 per year industry for the state of Louisiana, as well as the livelihoods of hundreds of fly and light tackle fishing guides and other small business owners in the state. 

Specifically, economic data outlined in a November 15, 2023 report from Ben Meadows Consulting, LLC, the recent decline in redfish population has already resulted in an up to $17.69 million loss in annual revenue generated by the fishery in Louisiana due to lower bookings and participation from anglers. Basing projections on conservative estimates around economic impact of a Red Drum trip, the report projects an additional $22 million in losses over the next 5 years if the current, outdated regulations remain in place. 

The ASGA delivered a letter to Governor Edwards signed by more than 2,000 individual guides and anglers as well as more than 100 leading local and national businesses and fishery organizations representing millions of members of the fishing community. The letter highlights the critical importance of the LOI for a successful rebuild of the species. Supporting organizations and business include, but are not limited to:

The full text of that letter, as well as a full list of supporting business and organizations, can be found here.

"Red drum are an iconic species in the Gulf of Mexico, and nowhere are they as important to the local culture and economy as in Louisiana," said Tony Friedrich, President and Head of Policy at the ASGA. "With increased pressure and unchanged regulations, the precipitous decline in the stock of Red Drum in the state from 23 million in 1999 to just 8.7 million in 2023 highlights the urgent need for new management measures to ensure that these fish are not lost for an entire generation of anglers. Further, the fishery has realized three of the four lowest spawning seasons on-record over the past three years, highlighting the critical importance of rapid action. 

We applaud and fully support the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (the "LDWF") Letter of Intent, which proposed a 55% reduction in harvest, accelerating a projected rebuild of the species nearly 20 years faster than the 35% that was initially proposed, significantly increasing the chance of success and providing greater access to anglers across the state. Redfish trips bring in more than $300,000,000 million per year to Louisiana, and without the immediate implementation of more appropriate regulations to reflect the decline in biomass, this revenue, and the businesses that rely on it, will be put at serious risk as the potential rebuild plays out over the next three plus decades. 

For these reasons, on behalf of fishing guides, small business owners recreational anglers and the State of Louisiana, we URGE Governor Edwards to VETO the recent Joint Oversight Committee's decision to keep harvest reductions at 35% to save this species and the next generation of anglers who deserve access to this incredible fishery." 

About the American Saltwater Guides Association
Founded in 2019, the American Saltwater Guides Association was created to activate and unite guides, small business owners and like-minded anglers, and to represent them and their voice at the federal, regional and state level. The ASGA is a coalition of forward-thinking guides, small business owners and like-minded anglers who understand the value of keeping fish in the water. We realize that abundance equals opportunity, and that such opportunity is quite a bit more important to the future of fishing than low size limits and full coolers. More information about the ASGA, its mission, board members and current areas of focus can be found at www.saltwaterguidesassociation.org. 

For more information about the ASGA:

Tony Friedrich ?
[email protected]

SOURCE American Saltwater Guides Association