LDWF Asks Saltwater Anglers to Complete Web-Based Survey on Red Drum Management Options

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has released an online web-based survey to gather public input on Red Drum (Redfish) management options.

LDWF is conducting a survey on Red Drum management options prior to presenting recommendations to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC).  This survey is an additional effort to collect public input on management options; LDWF also conducted an email survey sent to more than 10,000 randomly-selected resident saltwater license holders prior to this survey being made available online.

LDWF’s recent assessment of Red Drum in Louisiana shows that while the spawning stock is still above limits, too few fish are surviving to join the offshore spawning population and that requires management changes. The juvenile portion of the Red Drum stock is measured through an “escapement” rate. Escapement is the percentage of Red Drum that pass through the recreational fishery (there is no commercial fishery allowed for Red Drum in Louisiana) from inshore waters as juveniles and make it into the spawning stock offshore. The established escapement rate limit for management is 30%; Louisiana’s escapement rate is currently 20%, indicating too few Red Drum are surviving to make it offshore to spawn.  LDWF must take action to rebuild the population to (or above) the minimum escapement level. We are considering several options for management changes to reduce harvest levels and allow the stock to recover.

Your opinion is a critical step in the fishery management process. Because we have determined several management options that will allow the Red Drum stock to potentially recover, we will compile the information we receive from all public input forums and present a summary of angler preferences to the LWFC for its consideration.

We encourage you to review the information at https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/hot-topic-red-drum to learn more about the status of Red Drum and these potential management changes.

Take the survey

Red Drum Management Options Survey

Your participation in this survey is confidential. If you have any questions or comments regarding the survey, please direct them to Jack Isaacs at 225-765-2605 or jisaacs@wlf.la.gov.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources. LDWF receives no state general funding and depends on license sales as a major funding source.  Help us protect your hunting and fishing heritage while preserving habitat, wildlife, and aquatic resources by purchasing your license at www.wlf.la.gov. To receive email or text alerts, signup here.