Atlantic menhaden Archives

Marine Stewardship Council Reports That 90 Percent of US Fisheries Meet Sustainable Standards; Highlights MSC-Certified SCEMFIS Members

February 6, 2026 — The following was released by the Science Center for Marine Fisheries:

Last week, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) highlighted the sustainability of U.S. fisheries with new data from 2025 showing that, by volume, 90 percent of the U.S. catch is MSC-certified and meets the organization’s sustainability guidelines. Among the organizations highlighted are industry members of the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCEMFIS).

SCEMFIS, a member of the National Science Foundation’s Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers program, brings together marine scientists and members of the commercial fishing and wind energy industries to collaborate on fisheries research focusing on sustainable fisheries. Several SCEMFIS member organizations participate in fisheries that have been certified against the MSC Sustainable Fisheries standard, including Atlantic and Gulf menhaden, Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog, longfin and shortfin squid, black sea bass, summer flounder, Atlantic and Pacific tuna, and scup.

Wayne Reichle, the Owner and President of Lund’s Fisheries, a member of SCEMFIS’s Industry Advisory Board (IAB), is quoted by the MSC in their announcement:

“For nearly ten years, Lund’s Fisheries, Inc. has collaborated with the MSC, and our partner conformity assessment bodies (CABs), to assure domestic and international markets vitally important to our long-term success that the seafood we produce is managed sustainably based on rigorous, annual, scientific and monitoring reviews. Our MSC-certified Atlantic sea scallop, Atlantic and Pacific squid, and Atlantic menhaden purse seine, scup, fluke and black sea bass trawl fisheries have provided us with access to markets that would not otherwise be available to our third-generation fishing company, to the benefit of our community, our employees and our company and independent fishermen whose cooperation we depend upon each day as we plan for the future.”

The MSC “sets criteria to ensure healthy fish stocks, minimal harmful impacts on marine ecosystems, and to promote effective and responsive management.” 62 species in the U.S. are MSC certified, with more than 1,300 certified products available in the U.S. market.

In 2025, MSC became the newest member of the SCEMFIS IAB. In joining, MSC praised the work the Center has done for seafood sustainability, with MSC’s Anthony Mastitski, Fisheries Outreach Manager, saying, “SCEMFIS plays a pivotal role in advancing scientific research across U.S. fisheries, including many that are MSC-certified. Thanks in part to SCEMFIS, these fisheries have maintained their certifications and continue to offer sustainable seafood options to consumers at home and abroad.”

In addition to having the MSC and several MSC-certified fisheries represented on the Center’s Board, SCEMFIS research has directly improved the sustainability of many of these fisheries. Among other issues, SCEMFIS-supported science has provided new insights into how climate change has impacted Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog, and how to best estimate their ages and populations; an analysis of Gulf predators’ diets that better defines the role of Gulf menhaden as a forage species in the food web; updating the maturity and fecundity schedules for Atlantic menhaden and addressed improvements in the Atlantic menhaden stock assessment; and the economic impact of the Atlantic surfclam, scup, Gulf menhaden, longfin squid, and summer flounder fisheries.

New Data from the Marine Stewardship Council: U.S. Leads the World in Certified Environmentally Sustainable Fisheries

January 27, 2026 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), a global nonprofit organization that works to end overfishing, today announced 2025 year-end data showing that 90% of U.S. fisheries by volume are MSC certified and meet rigorous requirements for environmentally sustainable fishing practices, making the U.S. a leader in sustainable fisheries.

A trusted nonprofit dedicated to ending overfishing and maintaining a healthy ocean, the MSC sets criteria to ensure healthy fish stocks, minimal harmful impacts on marine ecosystems, and to promote effective and responsive management.

U.S. achievements for 2025 include:

62 species certified
More than 1,300 MSC eco-labeled products available in the U.S. market
MSC eco-labeled products can now be found in all 50 states

“MSC is proud to partner with U.S. fisheries that have a long-standing commitment to sustainability and the protection of our country’s marine resources,” said Laura McDearis, U.S. program director, Marine Stewardship Council.

“As demonstrated by the 90% of U.S. fishery landings by volume that are certified to MSC’s rigorous requirements for environmentally sustainable fishing, the leadership and great work of our U.S. partners can’t be understated. MSC certification validates U.S. fisheries’ dedication to ensuring the long-term health of our ocean and sets an example for countries around the globe to follow,” continued McDearis.

Other notable MSC certified fisheries milestones in 2025 include the completion of long-term research projects in the Alaska Salmon fishery, in collaboration with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. In 2025 the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic menhaden purse seine fisheries were recertified, with support from the National Marine Fisheries Service and the University of Southern Mississippi’s National Science Foundation-supported Science Center for Marine Fisheries, respectively.

In addition, several new fisheries entered the MSC program last year, including the U.S. Atlantic summer flounder and black sea bass trawl fishery. Other fisheries, such as Pacific hake and Louisiana blue crab are celebrating more than a decade of certification against the MSC Standard.

“For nearly ten years, Lund’s Fisheries, Inc. has collaborated with the MSC, and our partner conformity assessment bodies (CABs), to assure domestic and international markets, vitally important to our long-term success that the seafood we produce is managed sustainably based on rigorous, annual, scientific and monitoring reviews,” said Wayne Reichle, Owner and President, Lund’s Fisheries. “Our MSC-certified Atlantic sea scallop, Atlantic and Pacific squid, and Atlantic menhaden purse seine, scup, fluke and black sea bass trawl fisheries, have provided us with access to markets that would not otherwise be available to our third-generation fishing company, to the benefit of our community, our employees and our company and independent fishermen whose cooperation we depend upon each day as we plan for the future.

2025 was a challenging year for U.S. fisheries, with increasing pressure to safeguard marine ecosystems against the backdrop of rapidly escalating climate change. Environmental conditions including shifting and extreme weather patterns, as well as distribution and recruitment of fish due to warming waters, greatly impacted U.S. fisheries. A recent study conducted by the MSC and the Common Oceans Program showed that tuna and other highly migratory fish are particularly vulnerable to climate change due to the impacts of shifting stocks and the reduction in the number of fish in the ecosystem due to climate change. The research also found that certification can help mitigate risk, making fisheries potentially more resilient to climate impacts.

On the U.S. seafood markets side, the introduction of tariffs by the Trump administration challenged the seafood industry significantly, affecting seafood trade, imports and prices at retail, as only approximately 38% of seafood consumed in the U.S. is of domestic origin. Nevertheless, MSC certified seafood products continued to grow on the market, with an 8% increase in volume of MSC certified products in the U.S. from 2024 to 2025. MSC certified supply chain partners remain committed to environmental sustainability despite these challenging times, with retailers like Aldi, ShopRite, and Walmart making MSC certified seafood accessible and easily identifiable through in-store signage and online messaging.

“At Wakefern, partnering with MSC has allowed us to create valuable communications tools that help consumers navigate the sustainable seafood options we offer at ShopRite and Price Rite stores,” said Alexandra Emery, Manager of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility at Wakefern Food Corp. “Our Bowl & Basket and Wholesome Pantry frozen products, like wild caught scallops and flounder fillets, are also MSC certified, allowing consumers to shop sustainably and responsibly from our store brand product lines.”

Sustainable wild fisheries are essential to American fishing communities and a resilient, productive ocean, offering a renewable, low-carbon source of nutritious protein. The growing commitment from fisheries and the marketplace to the MSC program reflects a shared vision for that future. Continued commitment by governments, industry, consumers and political leaders is essential in the face of warming oceans, and critical to stay on track to deliver the UN Agenda 2030 goals before the end of the decade, including sustainable development goal 14 to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

Read the release from the Marine Stewardship Council

Former NOAA biologist publishes comprehensive history of Menhaden Fishery

December 23, 2025 — A new book, “Menhaden: A Biologist’s Thirty-Two Year Journey with the Fish and the Fishery,” by Morehead City resident Joe Smith, offers what Palmetto Publishing calls “an exhaustive look at the menhaden fisheries.” The book covers the history of both Atlantic and Gulf coast menhaden fisheries while offering an insider view of the industry and the biological knowledge of what is frequently referred to as “the most important fish in the sea.”

Smith said the book is “kind of a celebration of menhaden.”

Few are better qualified to celebrate the fish than Smith, who spent more than 30 years working with the National Marine Fisheries Service at the NOAA Beaufort Laboratory as part of the Menhaden Program launched in 1955.

Read the full article at Carteret County News-Times

Scientists did not recommend a 54 percent cut to the menhaden TAC

December 4, 2025 — In the weeks following the 2025 Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) annual meeting, a wave of statements from environmental and recreational fishing groups has told the public that Atlantic menhaden scientists “recommended” a 50 to 54 percent cut to the coastwide total allowable catch (TAC). According to a detailed 14-page analysis from the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition, that claim is not only inaccurate- the meeting record itself contradicts it.

Instead, the Coalition says ASMFC’s Technical Committee and Ecological Reference Point (ERP) Working Group did exactly what managers asked: they provided risk-based projections across a range of TAC scenarios, without recommending any one option. “There were no recommendations of preferred TAC made,” the Coalition reports. “The Technical Committee and the ERP Working Group supply projections and risk information; the commissioners decide policy.”

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

New analysis: No, scientists didn’t “recommend” a 54% menhaden cut

December 3, 2025 — The following was released by the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition:

In the weeks since the 2025 ASMFC Annual Meeting, there’s been a widespread misconception circulated by environmental and recreational fishing groups that the ASMFC Menhaden Board’s technical and scientific advisors “recommended” a 50% or 54% cut (to 108,450 mt) to the Atlantic menhaden total allowable catch (TAC), and that the Commission ignored those recommendations. That is not the case. Rather, scientists ran a set of “if–then” scenarios for managers, without making a preferred TAC recommendation. The Technical Committee and the ERP Working Group supply projections and risk information; the commissioners decide policy.

The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition has undertaken a detailed analysis and thorough review of all the meeting materials and reports, and of the entire recording of the meeting available online. It shows there is nowhere the Technical Committee (TC) or the ERP Working Group “recommends” a 54% cut, or any specific TAC. Staff consistently present options and risks at the Board’s request, not a recommendation.

The only time a 54% cut is presented as a recommendation is when Commissioner Proxy Matt Gates (CT) incorrectly described the option provided at the Board’s request as a recommendation. His motion reads: “I would like to make the motion for the TAC recommended in the TC and working groups memo that achieves a 50% probability of achieving the ecological reference point F target… move to set the TAC… at 108,450 metric tons….”

What the record shows (brief)

No staff “recommendation” for 54%. Technical staff presented options and risk probabilities at the Board’s request; they did not tell the Board which TAC to choose. The sole place a “recommendation” is claimed is the Gates motion quoted above. The staff materials do not recommend that TAC; they simply show it as one scenario.
Why 2025 numbers differ from 2022. The 2025 update uses a lower natural-mortality (M) estimate, which re-scales the entire 1955–present series (average biomass ≈ 37% lower vs. 2022). That’s a model re-interpretation, not a stock crash, total biomass is slightly higher than in 2021.
Considering economics is required. Section 6(a) of ASMFC’s ISFMP Charter: “Social and economic impacts and benefits must be taken into account.” The Board did exactly that.
The chosen 20% TAC reduction is biologically conservative.Projections show 0% probability of exceeding the ERP F-threshold (no overfishing) in 2026–2028, and only 2–4% risk of dipping below the fecundity threshold, nearly indistinguishable from a ~54% cut on that metric.
Threshold vs. target, in plain terms. The threshold is the do-not-cross line that ensures enough menhaden for today’s predators. The targetassumes a future in which striped bass are rebuilt and fished at their own F-target. That’s not today’s world, striped bass are overfished and being rebuilt at lower F.
Cutting menhaden alone can’t rebuild stripers. As Dr. Katie Drew told the Board (Feb. 2020): “you have to adjust all of them at once… if you don’t adjust the striped bass fishing mortality nothing you do to menhaden will bring that population back… we need to adjust both of them together.”

Read the full analysis here

Examples of the inaccurate “recommendation” narrative (links)

The American Sportfishing Association (ASA), in an article by Rob Shane titled Mixed Results from 2025 ASMFC Annual Meeting, states that “recent peer-reviewed science recommended a 54% quota cut” for Atlantic menhaden. (https://asafishing.org/advocacy/the-sportfishing-advocate/mixed-results-from-2025-asmfc/)
The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) press release Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Annual Meeting Ends with Mixed Results for Recreational Anglers similarly says the Board implemented only a 20 percent reduction “despite peer-reviewed research recommending a 54% cut to the commercial quota.” (https://www.nmma.org/press/article/25298)
The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership has repeatedly asserted that “slashing the coastwide catch limit by more than half” or “more than 50 percent” is needed to follow the science in Menhaden Stock Assessment Indicates Catch Must Be Reduced to Benefit Striped Bass and again in Marine Fisheries Board Declines to Make Science-Based Reduction to Atlantic Menhaden Catch Limit. (https://www.trcp.org/2025/10/15/menhaden-stock-assessment-indicates-catch-must-be-reduced-to-benefit-striped-bass/; https://www.trcp.org/2025/10/28/marine-fisheries-board-declines-to-make-science-based-reduction-to-atlantic-menhaden-catch-limit/)
The American Saltwater Guides Association went further, urging “massive reductions” and telling readers that “the bottom line is we need a 55% reduction in the TAC for Atlantic menhaden” in Take The Cut: Massive Reductions for Menhaden Industry Necessary. (https://www.saltwaterguidesassociation.com/take-the-cut-massive-reductions-for-menhaden-industry-necessary/)
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, in a press release by Vanessa Remmers titled Menhaden Management Meeting Results in Lackluster Coastwide Catch Reductions, told supporters that “The ASMFC menhaden stock assessments resulted in forecasts indicating the need for a 54 percent cut to the menhaden harvest to meet the needs of predators like striped bass, osprey, and marine mammals.” (https://www.cbf.org/news/menhaden-management-meeting-results-in-lackluster-coastwide-catch-reductions/)
Jim McDuffie, President and CEO of Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, in a press statement said: “While today’s vote resulted in a 20% reduction, it was far short of the reduction recommended by the Commission’s own scientists.” (https://stateportpilot.com/sports/article_24fe9863-7157-46f7-b8e0-a7327a3b2c8d.html)
The International Game Fish Association inaccurately stated in a press release that “scientists said that a quota of 108,000 MT was necessary to have a 50% chance of success of rebuilding the striped bass fishery.” (https://igfa.org/2025/10/29/fisheries-managers-fail-to-protect-menhaden-and-striped-bass/)
Sport Fishing magazine amplified the same narrative, reporting that ASMFC “implemented a 20 percent cut to the Atlantic commercial menhaden harvest, when peer-reviewed science recommended a 54 percent quota cut, according to an ASA press release” in Nick Carter’s Anglers Frustrated with Menhaden Management. (https://www.sportfishingmag.com/news/anglers-frustrated-with-menhaden-management/)
A Washington Post guest essay, It’s the ‘most important fish in the sea.’ And it’s disappearing. by Mark Robichaux, framed the controversy around the idea that managers failed to adopt the deep cuts “scientists recommend” (Nov. 20, 2025). (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/11/20/menhaden-fishing-caps-atlantic-reduction/)

About the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition
The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition (MFC) is a collective of menhaden fishermen, related businesses, and supporting industries. Comprised of businesses along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition conducts media and public outreach on behalf of the menhaden industry to ensure that members of the public, media, and government are informed of important issues, events, and facts about the fishery.

MAINE: Maine Department of Marine Resources seeks pogey harvesters’ input

November 26, 2025 — Maine’s Department of Marine Resources has scheduled an online meeting to solicit input from commercial menhaden harvesters for the 2026 season. The DMR is seeking the input from pogey fishermen as it develops management measures for the upcoming season.

The state’s preliminary allocation for the coming season is 19,571,649 pounds, with an Episodic Set Aside of 4,119,117 pounds. The ESA amounts to 1 percent of the total East Coast allocation and is shared among the states.

The ESA can be accessed by individual states once they have used their individual allocation, but large schools of menhaden are still available within their territory.

Atlantic menhaden—pogies—are the principal bait used by Maine lobstermen and a valuable part of the state’s fisheries economy.

Read the full article at Penobscot Bay Press

Atlantic Menhaden FAQ and Stock Assessment Overview

November 17, 2025, 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

There’s been a lot of stakeholder discussion on the outcome of the October 28, 2025 meeting of the Commission’s Atlantic Menhaden Management Board. Some of the information being shared reflects a misunderstanding of the findings of the single-species assessment update and Ecological Reference Point Benchmark Stock Assessment, as well as the Board’s response to the assessments’ findings.

The Commission developed an FAQ and an Overview of the Atlantic Menhaden Stock Assessment Update and ERP Benchmark Stock Assessment to help explain how the Commission coordinates Atlantic menhaden management and the science behind recent Management Board decisions. We hope you find these helpful.

LOUISIANA: Commission Proposes Menhaden Buffer Expansion to Protect Chandeleur Islands and Other Sensitive Areas

November 17, 2025 — Louisiana’s menhaden fishery has long been defined by respect – respect for the Gulf, for science, and for the coastal communities that depend on both. This month, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved a Notice of Intent (NOI) to adjust nearshore buffer zones for menhaden fishing, the latest step in Louisiana’s effort to balance ecological protection with sustainable working waters – expanding protections in sensitive areas while refining limits in less fragile zones.

The adjustment follows a directive from the Commission to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) to consult with both the menhaden industry and recreational fishermen to strengthen existing rules. The resulting proposal increases the buffer zone by over 4% – from 264 to 276 square miles – enhancing protections in sensitive habitats while adjusting historically important fishing grounds, where Louisiana’s menhaden industry has fished for over 75 years.

What the Buffer Zone Adjustment Includes

The proposal expands protections in Louisiana’s most ecologically sensitive areas while restoring access in long-fished waters where new research shows limited environmental impact. The newly proposed rule would modify existing menhaden buffer zones along several parts of Louisiana’s coast:

Expanded protections in the Chandeleur Islands and around Isle Dernieres, and adjusted buffer areas in select regions (Cameron Jetties to Rutherford Beach, Mermentau River to Rollover, Point Au Fer to Bayou Grand Caillou, Bay Long to Southwest Pass) based on LDWF’s scientific assessment.
Creation of a new open-water connection between Baptiste Collette and Breton Island, improving alignment between existing buffer zones and coastal geography within Breton and Chandeleur Sounds.
Technical and organizational updates, including clearer structure and the addition of GPS coordinates for existing buffers around Elmer’s Island, Grand Isle, and Grand Terre, enhancing clarity, transparency, and enforcement.

Read the full article at NOLA.com

LOUISIANA: In win for commercial menhaden industry, LWF Commission approves controversial loosened regulations

November 7, 2025 — The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission on Thursday advanced a plan to decrease the size of a no-fishing zone after members of the commercial menhaden fishing industry complained that guidelines put in place last year had cut their haul by up to 25 percent.

The panel last year had restricted menhaden boats to areas at least a half-mile offshore at points west of the Mississippi River. At its meeting Thursday, members voted 4-3 to approve a notice of intent to decrease the buffer zone to a quarter-mile in some areas, but increase it in other areas deemed more sensitive.

Hundreds of recreational anglers in attendance opposed the pullback. They had wanted the commission to push the buffer zone out to a mile offshore.

Read the full article at WBRZ

2026 Cap on Menhaden Catch Cut by 20%

November 6, 2025 — The cut was approved by ASMFC’s Menhaden Management Board, which reviewed both the updated single-species stock assessment for menhaden and the 2025 Ecological Reference Points (ERPs) Assessment and Peer Review Reports.

The ERP model used Atlantic striped bass as the focal predator species. According to ASMFC, striped bass are the most sensitive predator fish when considering the menhaden harvest.

ASMFC said the goal of the ERPs is to maximize sustainable menhaden harvest while ensuring adequate forage for striped bass. Menhaden are considered a critical forage species.

The assessment found that menhaden are not currently overfished, nor is overfishing occurring based on current benchmarks.

However, fishing mortality exceeded the target, and fecundity—a measure of egg production—was below the target.

As a result, the Board set the 2026 TAC at 186,840 metric tons, down from the 2023–2025 TAC of 233,550 metric tons.

Read the full article at News On The Neck