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.