May 22, 2012 – MOSS POINT — Omega Protein's pogy boats are a familiar sight in coastal waters, but they are also players in international trade.
Omega Protein operates menhaden fishing fleets in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Atlantic, out of Reedville, Va.
The company's major source of sales by location is Asia, with 45.5 percent of the total, or $95.9 million annually, states a report from Chris Scheinder, head of demand flow for Omega Protein, which is based in Houston.
The other primary sales locations and the percentage of total sales are United States, 34.4 percent; Europe, 12.1 percent; Canada, 6.1 percent; South and Central America, 1.6 percent; and Mexico, 0.3 percent.
The company harvests and processes menhaden, a small, bony and oily fish that traditionally has not been used for human consumption, though they contain a high level of omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega Protein is a nutritional ingredient company and the nation's leading producer of omega-3 fish oil and specialty fish meal products. The company operates four fish processing facilities in the United States and is the largest fishing company in the Gulf of Mexico.
Read the full story at the Mississippi Press.