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LOUISIANA: The History of the Louisiana Menhaden Industry

February 24, 2025 — Few people realize that one of Louisiana’s most valuable fisheries isn’t for shrimp, oysters, or crab—but for a small, unassuming fish that has fueled our state and local economies: the menhaden.

The first large-scale menhaden fishery in the U.S. began on the East Coast in the early 1800s, where the fish were processed for oil and fertilizer. By the late 19th century, the industry expanded into the Gulf, where Louisiana’s nutrient-rich estuaries provided an ideal habitat for vast menhaden populations. Processing plants soon emerged along the coast, and by the early 20th century, the Gulf menhaden fishery was a booming industry, supplying fish oil for industrial uses and fish meal for livestock feed.

Read the full article at NOLA.com

Gulf menhaden fishery has been confirmed sustainable

October 22, 2024 — The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC) released a new report showing that the Gulf menhaden fishery has continued to be harvested sustainably and managed effectively. At its annual meeting this past week, GSMFC approved the 2024 Gulf of Mexico Stock Assessment, which confirmed that the Gulf menhaden stock is neither overfished nor experiencing overfishing.

According to sources, an updated stock assessment hasn’t been completed since 2021, but the newest assessment includes new data from 2021 to 2023. In addition to the conclusion showing no overfishing, the assessment showed positive news for other key metrics of the stock’s health. The spawning stock biomass, which is the combined weight of all fish capable of reproducing, has continued to rise steadily since the 1990s and remains at a sustainable level. The assessment also shared that fishing mortality rates decreased in the 1990s and 2000s and have remained at lower levels.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Gulf Menhaden Population Confirmed Healthy

October 18, 2024 — The Gulf menhaden fishery continues to be harvesting sustainably and effectively managed, according to a new report by the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC). Approved by the GSMFC at its annual meeting this week, the 2024 Update to the Gulf of Mexico Menhaden Stock Assessment once again confirms that the Gulf menhaden stock is neither overfished nor experiencing overfishing.

The updated stock assessment includes new data from 2021 to 2023, the years since the last Gulf menhaden assessment was completed in 2021. In addition to its primary conclusion showing no overfishing, the assessment has positive news for several other key metrics of the stock’s health. Spawning stock biomass (the combined weight of all fish capable of reproducing) has continued to rise steadily since the 1990s and remains at a high, sustainable level. Fishing mortality rates decreased in the 1990s and 2000s and have remained at lower levels ever since.

Read the full article at Seafood News

Prominent recreational fishing writer calls out sport fishing groups for their obsession with sustainable menhaden fisheries

November 13, 2023 – Charles Witek, a fisheries consultant, recreational fisherman, and writer of the “One Angler’s Voyage” blog, has recently called out sportfishing groups like the Coastal Conservation Association and Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership for their “aggressive effort to place new restrictions” on commercial menhaden fisheries at the expense of needed management measures for recreational species.

In an October 8 post focused on the Gulf of Mexico, “Menhaden advocacy: A low-cost cause for recreational fishing organizations,” Mr. Witek called menhaden “the perfect cause for such organizations to take up, as it allows them to assume the mantle of conservationists, while arguing for regulations that will only impact the commercial fleet and will not place any additional burden on the recreational fishery.”

Menhaden fishermen at work

But as Mr. Witek pointed out, the Gulf menhaden population is “in good shape.” The most recent benchmark stock assessment completed by the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission in 2018 found that menhaden were neither overfished nor experiencing overfishing. The following year, the fishery was certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. An updated stock assessment conducted in 2021 showed the stock remains healthy. Meanwhile, other species in the Gulf — including speckled trout targeted by the recreational sector — are not so healthy.

“Given the overfished state of the speckled trout stock one might logically expect Coastal Conservation Association Louisiana, which was such a strong advocate of additional regulations to protect the undoubtedly healthy Gulf menhaden stock, to demand that Louisiana take immediate, meaningful action to rebuild the speckled trout population,” Mr. Witek wrote. “However, just the opposite occurred.”

“When recreational fishing groups begin to focus most of their conservation efforts on menhaden stocks, which are generally healthy, and ignore — or worse, oppose — needed management measures for marine finfish that are often sought by anglers, such groups’ commitment to conservation might well be questioned,” he wrote.

In an October 26 post, “Conserving striped bass: Don’t be misled by menhaden,” Mr. Witek noted a similar dynamic playing out on the Atlantic coast, but replacing speckled trout with striped bass.

“Let’s get two things straight from the start: Striped bass are having some serious problems, while Atlantic menhaden are doing just fine,” Mr. Witek wrote.

The latest striped bass stock assessment by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission shows the stock is overfished; Maryland has experienced spawning failure for the past five years; Virginia has experienced spawning failure for the past three years. Meanwhile, Atlantic menhaden are neither overfished nor experiencing overfishing; the fishery is certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council; and managers have adopted ecological reference points, making it the first East Coast fishery to account for not just the health of the individual species, but also its role in the ecosystem.

“It’s completely clear, from a scientific perspective, that the current lack of striped bass has absolutely nothing to do with a lack of menhaden,” Mr. Witek wrote.

That hasn’t stopped recreational anglers like Phil Zalesak, president of the Southern Maryland Recreational Fishing Organization, from blaming the commercial menhaden fishery for the problems in the recreational sector. This can have negative impacts for striped bass conservation, according to Mr. Witek.

“Where Mr. Zalesak’s comments [at a recent ASMFC meeting] really went astray was when he noted that Maryland’s striped bass harvest had decreased by 72 percent since 2016, then alleged that such decrease was due to a lack of menhaden, and not overfishing,” Mr. Witek wrote. “That comment, more than any other that he made, exposed the danger of focusing on menhaden, rather than on striped bass biology, for if managers took that allegation at face value, it would mean that to rebuild the striped bass stock, their first concern should be rebuilding the menhaden stock, and not addressing striped bass fishing mortality. Such course could only lead to more problems for the bass population.”

It is important for fishery managers to stay focused on real conservation measures needed to rebuild the striped bass population and not get distracted by “unsupported allegations of a menhaden shortage,” Mr. Witek wrote.

“For make no mistake: There are people who are all too willing to stall the striped bass’ recovery, and to put the bass’ future in peril, in order to increase their short-term gains from the fishery.”

The ASMFC’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board “must hear our desire to reduce striped bass fishing mortality…It must hear of our concerns with spawning failure in the Chesapeake Bay…But the Board shouldn’t have to hear about menhaden at all,” Mr. Witek concluded.

Mr. Witek is an attorney who has held a seat on the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, served as president of the New York State Outdoor Writers’ Association, and represents New York on various fishery management bodies.

House backs limits on Louisiana’s biggest fishery, but pogie bill faces tough path in Senate

April 29, 2022 — A bill that would put the first substantial limits on Louisiana’s biggest but least-regulated commercial fishery cleared the state House of Representatives this week but could face fierce opposition in the Senate.

House Bill 1033 would cap the menhaden catch in Louisiana waters at 573 million pounds per year and require menhaden fishing vessels to report daily locations and catch amounts to the state.

The menhaden industry has avoided regulation in Louisiana while other Gulf of Mexico states have tightened rules, enacting catch limits and fishing exclusion zones to protect the many species that depend on the pencil-length fish for food.

The measure passed by a wide margin – 75 to 22 – on Wednesday but the industry has more allies in the Senate, said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Joseph Orgeron, a Republican from Larose. Last year, another bill aimed at limiting the menhaden industry passed the House but died amid negotiations in a House-Senate conference committee. A Senate vote on the bill has yet to be scheduled.

Read the full story at Nola.com

NOAA, menhaden industry study turtle interactions

January 20, 2022 — Working with the Gulf of Mexico menhaden fleet, NOAA researchers are working on a methodology for learning about potential sea turtle interactions with purse seines, using a combination of at-sea observers, drones and electronic monitoring cameras on menhaden boats.

One of NOAA’s Gulf Spill Restoration projects – funded by the BP natural resources damage settlement stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion – the turtle study began in 2020 and conducted field trials with industry vessels over five days in October 2021, according to a NMFS summary Jan. 19.

Typically deployed in teams of menhaden steamers with 40-foot seine boats, the fleet harvests menhaden for processing into pet, aquaculture and livestock feeds, fertilizer and fishing bait. In the Gulf of Mexico that brings the possibility of protected sea turtles showing up in nets, but “there isn’t a strong understanding of if and when sea turtles are caught,” according to NMFS.

The project is developing methods for observing those fishing operations to better understand turtle interactions, and to identify how the industry can take voluntary measures to reduce and avoid those occurrences.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Gulf Menhaden Population Continues to be Sustainably Harvested, According to Recent Scientific Stock Assessment

November 10, 2021 — The following was released by the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition:

The Gulf menhaden population has once again been confirmed to be sustainably harvested, based on the results of a recently approved stock assessment conducted by NOAA Fisheries biologists and the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC). Managers at the GSMFC approved the final assessment at their annual meeting in late October.

The assessment, which is based on data from the Gulf menhaden fishery for 2018-2020, finds that Gulf menhaden are neither overfished, nor are they experiencing overfishing. This confirms the results of the last major Gulf menhaden assessment, released in 2019, which reached the same conclusions about the health of the species.

The assessment document went so far as to state that “In general, there is little risk of overfishing or of being overfished.” This statement truly drives home the point that this is a very healthy stock and responsible fishery.

“This latest assessment continues a long trend of positive information coming out about this fishery, which has long been healthy and sustainable,” said Ben Landry, Director of Public Affairs for Ocean Harvesters, which operates a fleet of menhaden fishing vessels.

“This positive assessment validates that the current Gulf menhaden fishing effort is at a level which is both responsible and sustainable,” said Francois Kuttel of Westbank Fishing.

In addition to its conclusions about the overall state of the Gulf menhaden stock, the assessment also finds several other positive indicators for the species. It found that menhaden abundance was particularly strong in 2018, and that fishing mortality is stable and well below historic highs. These indicators support the overall conclusion that overfishing is not an issue with Gulf menhaden.

Gulf menhaden has been internationally recognized as a sustainable fishery. Since 2019, the fishery has been certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), the most prominent international seafood certification program. Much like this assessment, the MSC certification cited the long-term health of the menhaden population, as well as noting the limited environmental impact of the fishery.

Update of the Gulf of Mexico Gulf Menhaden Stock Assessment (GDAR03)

October 22, 2021 — The following was released by the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida – The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC) has completed an update of the stock assessment of the Gulf Menhaden population in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The regional assessment has been completed through the GSMFC’s Gulf Data, Assessment, and Review (GDAR) Program as GDAR03. Each of the five state marine resource agencies provided the necessary data and expertise to develop abundance indices for use in the stock assessment model. This assessment provides an update to the 2018 Gulf Menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) benchmark for the Gulf of Mexico (SEDAR63). The assessment was updated with recent data from 2018-2020. The final stock assessment report is available on the GSMFC’s website at:

2021 Gulf Menhaden Stock Assessment (GDAR03)

The stock status for the updated assessment remained the same as the stock status from the benchmark assessment (SEDAR63). The assessment indicates that fishing mortality rates decreased during the 1990s and have remained at a low level through today. Additionally, spawning stock biomass (measured as fecundity) has increased steadily since the 1990s and remains at a high level. In summary, the update concludes that the Gulf of Mexico Gulf Menhaden stock is not experiencing overfishing and is not overfished.

Gulf of Mexico menhaden fishery recommended for MSC; Atlantic hung up

June 5, 2019  — Now both of the US’ big purse seine menhaden fisheries have been recommended for certification by the Marine Stewardship Council, though how fast harvesters and processors are able to start carrying the label remains to be seen.

Omega Protein and Daybrook Fisheries, on Tuesday, announced that the menhaden fishery in the Gulf of Mexico has been recommended for MSC by the independent certification body SAI Global. Stakeholders now have 15 working days to submit formal objections to an independent adjudicator.

Houston, Texas-based Omega Protein, acquired by Canada’s Cooke in late 2017, and Daybrook, an Empire, Louisiana-based wholly owned subsidiary of South Africa’s Oceana Group, both source menhaden from the gulf and requested MSC certification in June 2017.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

Fatty Acid Dynamics In The Fish Gulf Menhaden

March 6, 2019 — “Essential fatty acids” are critical to organismal growth and development and, because they cannot be synthesized, they must be obtained through the diet. The role of essential fatty acids have been known to the medical community for decades – these components of the diet play a critical role in human health, growth, and development.

The well known omega-3 fatty acids are one example and are used to reduce the risk of heart disease, pain from rheumatoid arthritis, and depression. Other animals, like fishes, also rely on essential fatty acids for their growth and development, and the importance of fatty acid composition is critical in the success in aquaculture because they play an important role in growth, reproduction, and swimming abilities of fishes.

Omega-3 fatty acids like EPA and DHA have recognized physiological functions and are critical during endogenous and early exogenous feeding. Poor growth and survival may occur without sufficient levels of essential fatty acids. Because these biological precursors are so important to organismal development, we sought to describe the intra-annual changes in the fatty acid composition of Gulf Menhaden. This small fish is termed a “forage fish” because it is thought to be a major prey item, and a major ecological role, to a variety of avian, fish, and mammal predators. The Gulf Menhaden stock also supports the largest commercial fishery in the Gulf of Mexico. This fishery is a called a “reduction” fishery because it converts the live fish to both fish oil and fish meal. Fish oil from Gulf Menhaden is rich in EPA and DHA and is widely used for human consumption. Similarly, the fish meal produced is used in a variety of aquaculture and agriculture applications. The implications of seasonal variation in the characteristics of fish oil and fatty acid composition have implications to the dynamics of the reduction fishery as well as to the predators that rely on Gulf Menhaden. In this work, we describe general and specific characteristics of oil content and fatty acid composition of Gulf Menhaden.

Read the full story at Science Trends

 

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