August 24, 2023 — The following was released by Omega Protein:
Two former menhaden fishing vessels have been successfully repurposed as artificial reefs, as the F/V Mermentau and the F/V G.P. Chauvin were sunk off the coast of Biloxi, Mississippi on July 26 and 27. TheMermentau and the G.P. Chauvin will now serve a second life as habitats for many Gulf marine species, creating new biodiversity hotspots and new destinations for divers and recreational fishermen.
The G.P. Chauvin and the Mermentau were both previously owned by Ocean Harvesters, which fishes for menhaden in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico and is a long-term supplier and fishing partner to Omega Protein. In their active service, the vessels operated out of nearby Moss Point, Mississippi. Both vessels had been deployed in the fishery for over 30 years, with the Mermentau commissioned in 1988 and the G.P. Chauvin commissioned in 1989. The vessels fished for menhaden with several companies in the area before being retired in 2020 by Ocean Harvesters.
“Adapting retired fishing vessels like the G.P. Chauvin and the Mermentau for use as artificial habitats is a great way to responsibly dispose of these vessels while benefitting the environment and marine life at the same time,” said Monty Deihl, the CEO of Ocean Harvesters. “We are always looking for ways to contribute to conservation efforts in our home communities, and projects like this are among the best.”
The reefing was done in collaboration with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and Mississippi Gulf Fishing Banks, a non-profit that works to create new artificial reefs off the Mississippi coast.
“Artificial reefs are an essential part of our mission to promote biodiversity, healthy fisheries and tourism in Mississippi,” said Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Executive Director Joe Spraggins. “Retired ships like the Mermentau and the G.P. Chauvin provide a great substrate for reefs to thrive, and these donated vessels will continue to provide benefits to fish, the environment and sportsmen for years to come.”
“The vessels provided by Omega Protein will provide an ideal underwater habitat for marine fish and other organisms in the Gulf,” said Mississippi Gulf Fishing Banks (MGFB) President Ralph Humphrey. “It’s invaluable industry partnerships like these in our community that allow MGFB to safely and effectively continue our mission: creating artificial reefs that will ultimately improve fishing and diving in our Mississippi Gulf Coast waters.”
Omega Protein and Ocean Harvesters have long supported artificial reef programs, and have worked with several states to repurpose retired fishing vessels for new artificial reef habitats. The reefing of the GP. Chauvin and the Mermentau is the latest in a series of reefings of former menhaden vessels: most recently, Ocean Harvester’s Defender was sunk off the coast of Louisiana in 2021; in 2020, the Reedville was sunk off the coast of Delaware; the Barataria Bay was sunk off the coast of Mississippi in 2015; the Great Wicomico was sunk in the Gulf of Mexico in 2009; and the von Rosenberg was sunk off Mississippi in 2000. In the Atlantic, the Omega Protein vessels Tangier Island, Shearwater, and John S. Dempster, Jr have also been sunk for artificial reefs in recent years.
About Omega Protein
Omega Protein Corporation is a century old nutritional product company that develops, produces, and delivers healthy products derived from menhaden, a fish found abundantly off the U.S. Atlantic Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico. Omega Protein Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary and division of Cooke Inc., a family-owned company based in New Brunswick, Canada.
Through its subsidiaries, Omega Protein owns three menhaden manufacturing facilities in the United States. Omega Protein also has a long-term supply contract with Ocean Harvesters, which owns 30 fishing vessels which harvest menhaden. All fishing vessels owned and operated by Ocean Harvesters, an independent company, were formerly owned by Omega Protein. Any references to commercial fishing of menhaden relate to Ocean Harvesters, not Omega Protein or Cooke Inc.