WKRG-TV Mobile, Ala.
New Mississippi bill introduced to help reverse decline in duck population
Posted: Jul 17, 2025 / 09:18 PM CDT
JACKSON, Miss. (WKRG) — Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss) has proposed a new bill on Wednesday aimed at helping to increase the population of ducks in the US.
The bill’s goal is to reverse the decline of duck populations by incentivizing the improvement of both the quantity and quality of breeding habitats.
The Habitat Enhancement Now (HEN) Act is giving authority for proper practices and tools to be used to improve the nesting of ducks.
“Effective reproduction rates are essential to the long-term sustainability of any species, especially ducks,” Hyde-Smith said. “Populations will continue to decline if hens continue to lose their nests to predation and/or lack of adequate habitat. We have to reverse this trend. The HEN Act is a common-sense step toward increasing the odds of ducks having successful hatches.”
The HEN Act grants authority to the Secretary of the Interior to give incentives, such as grants, to organizations that construct and maintain hen houses, create nesting cover, and undertake any other conservation efforts for North American nesting grounds.
Hen houses have an over 60 percent use rate, which led to an average of 80 percent nesting success rate for ducks, positively influencing breeding habits.
Since the 1990s, the population of ducks has seen a decline of about 26 percent. This decrease has been attributed to loss of wetlands and breeding grounds, droughts across the U.S., and an increase in predation.
Estimates from the HEN Act show it could help lead to an increase of almost 100,000 more ducks every year if fully implemented.
For more information, the bill can be viewed here.