Latest Assessment Finds No Overfishing, Nor is Stock Overfished
GULF SHORES, AL / ACCESSWIRE / October 17, 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.
"The results of this assessment reaffirm the responsible and effective management of the Gulf menhaden fishery, and its long-term sustainability," said Ben Landry, Vice President of Public Affairs for Ocean Fleet Services, a Menhaden Fisheries Coalition member. "Our industry is committed to maintaining healthy fish populations, and this assessment highlights the success of the collaborative efforts of industry, scientists, and fishery managers."
Highlights of the assessment include:
Increased spawning stock biomass: Gulf menhaden has shown consistent growth in its reproductive capacity over the past three decades;
Low fishing mortality rates: Fishing pressure has remained at reduced levels, ensuring the fishery's sustainability;
Stock health remains strong: The Gulf menhaden stock is not overfished, nor is it experiencing overfishing, as confirmed by the Beaufort Assessment Model (BAM), the statistical catch-age model used in the assessment. Additional sensitivity analyses and Monte Carlo bootstrap ensemble runs (MCBEs) were also completed.
The two previous assessments, released in 2021 and 2018, similarly concluded that the stock was healthy, that there was no overfishing, and that overfishing was not occurring. Since 2019, the Gulf menhaden fishery has been certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council, one of the most rigorous and recognizable sustainability certifications in the world.
The GSMFC's Menhaden Advisory Committee has recommended the next operational assessment be conducted in 2027, unless significant new data warrants review before then.
For more information about the Gulf menhaden fishery and the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition, please visit www.menhaden.org.
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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.
SOURCE: Menhaden Fisheries Coalition
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