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The
Atlantic menhaden is a remarkable citizen of the sea.
A bony, oily and inedible member of the herring family,
menhaden typically grow up to a foot in length and are
short-lived, swimming along United States coastal waters
for up to five years.
Spawned
in the ocean, menhaden generally travel in huge schools
of similarly-aged menhaden nearshore and within our
coastal estuaries where they feed before returning to
the ocean to spawn at approximately two years of age.
Ubiquitous in temperate coastal Atlantic waters, menhaden
populations are among the most numerous fish in American
waters: Scientists estimate the total population of
menhaden exceeds 400 Billion fish!
 Because
menhaden travel in large schools, most are harvested
by the 'purse seine' method: Vessels circle the school
with a net, draw the net close to a larger vessel where
the menhaden are transferred from the net to the vessel's
refrigerated hold. Because of the compactness of the
schools of menhaden, purse seining is a very 'clean'
harvest method. Measured bycatch (non-menhaden), scientifically
measured numerous times over the years, is significantly
less than 1%.
Although commercial harvests are significant, they are
sustainable and the Atlantic menhaden population is
healthy and not overfished. Moreover, scientists
estimate that commercial harvests annually remove only
two out of every 1,000 menhaden in the overall population,
thereby leaving the vast majority of these fish in the
water to serve their ecological roles, including serving
as forage for other predatory fish.
Currently,
around 35% of the coastal menhaden harvest in the Atlantic
is used for bait by commercial fishermen (predominately
for blue crab pots), as well as recreational sport fishermen
targeting striped bass, bluefish and weakfish. The remainder
of the harvest is processed into fish meal and oil,
supporting one of America's oldest
business. Historically,
when colonists first arrived to the 'New World', local
natives showed them how to fertilize their crops with
menhaden caught close to shore. Over the years, the
fishery grew from its traditional use as an agricultural
fertilizer, to a source of oil for lamps, and then to
animal feed supplements.
Today,
the menhaden processing industry employs over 2,000
people nationwide - the majority of which are African-American
- and provides a growing and diverse number of products
for a variety of world markets.
Fishmeals derived from menhaden provide a unique, high-protein
blend of nutrients, and are an important component of
many cattle, swine, poultry and aquaculture feeds..
The oil derived from menhaden - rich in heart-healthy
Omega-3s - is an FDA-approved health food additive.
Menhaden oil is currently used in a growing number of
enriched foods including pasta sauces, salad dressings,
sports drinks, baked goods and soups. It is also mixed
with other ingredients for cooking oils and shortenings,
as well as industrial products including lubricants,
plasticizers, alkyd resins, and oils for paint and lipstick.
For
more information about menhaden, please visit the following
links:
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