At the Louisiana Wildlife Federation’s annual Conservation Achievement Awards banquet on April 25, Jason Adriance, LDWF Finfish Program Manager, was named Conservation Professional of the Year. The Louisiana Wildlife Federation describes Conservation Professional category as follows: “For outstanding accomplishments by a person who, in a compensated professional capacity, has made a significant contribution to the management, enhancement, or protection of Louisiana's fish, wildlife, air, water, soil, or forest resources or related recreational opportunities.”
“Mr. Adriance’s commitment to the conservation, protection, and promotion of our aquatic resources for the past 23 years at LDWF is reflected in his work and passion for the species he manages,” said LDWF Acting Secretary Tyler Bosworth. “We would like to thank the Louisiana Wildlife Federation for acknowledging Mr. Adriance’s dedication.”
A few of Mr. Adriance’s accomplishments in the last year include:
- In 2024, Jason Adriance was instrumental in providing stock status and scientific information and testimony to the Legislature on Red Drum in Louisiana, which led the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission to change current size and bag limits that had been in place since the 1980s.
- Adriance provided the LDWF and the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission with scientific advice and data related to the commercial Menhaden fishery. This helped guide the department and commission in establishing a ½ mile buffer from the coast, along with an additional 1-mile fishing buffer off of Holly Beach in western Louisiana.
- Adriance assisted the stock assessment group of LDWF with conducting and co-authoring stock assessments of four species, which are required to be conducted every 5 years by legislative mandate. Mr. Adriance also coordinated the internal and external reviews of those stock assessments, along with presenting the results of the status of each stock to the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.
- Over the course of 2024, Mr. Adriance worked on implementing a new meat yield study for Spotted Seatrout and Red Drum to help the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission better understand the correlation between size and bag limit changes in relation to pounds of harvestable fillets.
- Adriance continues to serve and provide scientific expertise and advice on several national and regional scientific committees and advisory panels related to the conservation of fishery stocks in the Gulf of America and Louisiana.