Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe announced the new Commonwealth menhaden harvest limits during a visit on June 4, 2015, to Omega Protein, the largest menhaden fishmeal producer in the USA.
The harvest, set at 158,700 MT, follows a May decision by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to increase the allowable coast wide menhaden harvest by 10 percent. Atlantic menhaden are a key source of fish meal and fish oil, and supply vital Omega-3 fatty acids for both animal and human nutrition.
“This fishery contributes more than $88 million to Virginia’s economy and soon it will contribute even more,” said Governor McAuliffe,
“The Governor’s proclamation is the end result of a process begun earlier this year, with the release of an ASMFC scientific stock assessment which found that the menhaden population was far healthier than past assessments had indicated, and that menhaden were not overfished nor experiencing overfishing, as previously thought,” said Monty Deihl, Vice President of Operations for Omega Protein.
The increase in quota partially reversed a steep harvest cut imposed in 2012. “We’re all very pleased that science is confirming what we’ve all known for a long time, that this stock is healthy,” said Mr. Deihl.
