Fisheries

Gulf Menhaden

The largest fishery by volume in the Gulf, it is a source of bait, animal feed, and omega-3 nutrition.

Gulf menhaden

News & Updates

Updated June 17, 2026

One Angler's Voyage

One Angler's Voyage Calls Out Distortions By 'Forage Fish Campaign'

WASHINGTON — June 17, 2026 — A new post from One Angler’s Voyage by author Charles Witek takes a hard look at the recently launched Forage Fish Campaign and raises serious questions about the…

Reported by One Angler's Voyage · read at Saving Seafood

SeafoodSource

Gulf menhaden fishery recertified to MSC standard

The U.S. Gulf menhaden fishery has been recertified to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard after passing an independent audit by SCS Global Services. The menhaden fishery in the Gulf of Mexico, currently referred…

Reported by SeafoodSource · read at Saving Seafood

National Fisherman

The man who keeps the menhaden fleet running

Out of Empire, Louisiana, the menhaden fleet doesn’t just catch fish. It sustains families, funds local businesses, and anchors one of the few steady industries in low Plaquemines Parish. And when something goes wrong…

Reported by National Fisherman · read at Saving Seafood

Advocate

LOUISIANA: Rooted in Plaquemines Parish: A Life in Louisiana’s Menhaden Industry

Along Louisiana’s coast, the menhaden industry has quietly powered local economies for generations – providing industrial jobs, rebuilding communities after disasters, and allowing families to stay rooted in rural coastal parishes. The small, silvery…

Reported by Advocate · read at Saving Seafood

National Fisherman

LOUISIANA: Louisiana shrimpers reject CCA menhaden messaging

The Louisiana Shrimp Association issued a sharp public response this week after it said CCA Louisiana tagged the group in a Facebook post it described as an attempt to draw shrimpers into an attack…

Reported by National Fisherman · read at Saving Seafood

National Fisherman

LOUISIANA: Science, not assumption, in Louisiana menhaden debate

Louisiana has long relied on science to guide its management of natural resources, including energy, agriculture, and fisheries. That approach is now under scrutiny as the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission reviews proposed changes…

Reported by National Fisherman · read at Saving Seafood

Carteret County News-Times

Former NOAA biologist publishes comprehensive history of Menhaden Fishery

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…

Reported by Carteret County News-Times · read at Saving Seafood

Advocate

LOUISIANA: Science vs. Spin: The Truth About Menhaden Fishing in Louisiana Waters

Louisiana’s coast supports a wide variety of uses, including conservation, recreation, commercial fishing, energy, and shipping. The debate over menhaden harvest and the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC)’s proposed Notice of Intent reflects…

Reported by Advocate · read at Saving Seafood

SeafoodSource

LOUISIANA: Louisiana reduces size of menhaden fishing buffer zones

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) is moving forward with a proposal to reduce the size of buffer zones for menhaden fishing near the state’s beaches, a move praised by the industry and…

Reported by SeafoodSource · read at Saving Seafood

NOLA.com

Menhaden Fisheries: Federal Policy, Sustainability, and Coastal Economies

America’s menhaden fishery is one of the great success stories of U.S. seafood production – a renewable, sustainably managed resource that supports thousands of jobs, fuels rural economies, and delivers essential products to global…

Reported by NOLA.com · read at Saving Seafood

View all 62 articles

About Gulf Menhaden

Gulf menhaden are harvested primarily in a reduction purse-seine fishery producing fish meal, fish oil and fish solubles. Smaller amounts are taken by commercial and recreational fisheries for bait.

Gulf menhaden are sustainably managed to account for both the importance of the Gulf menhaden fishery and the species' role in the Gulf ecosystem.

Join the conversation

Become part of ASPN, a network of fishermen, processors, and community leaders advancing responsible management of these fisheries.

Join ASPN