The Gulf menhaden fishery has earned its first recertification from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) – the world’s leading certification body for sustainable fisheries – reaffirming its environmental performance and science-based management following a rigorous, multi-year independent audit.
The MSC is the world’s leading certification body for sustainable fisheries, and the 2026 recertification provides third-party verification that the fishery continues to meet the highest standards for sustainability, ecosystem health, and effective management. MSC certifications are valid for five years, with annual surveillance audits to ensure ongoing compliance. A full recertification – including public comment and the opportunity for objections – is required every five years. The fishery was first certified in 2019.
The MSC process is exhaustive, examining every dimension of the fishery’s performance: stock health, bycatch rates, environmental impacts, and regulatory oversight. Fisheries must meet strict scoring thresholds across all categories, with any deficiencies requiring time-bound corrective action.
The Marine Stewardship Council is an independent, international nonprofit organization that sets the world’s leading standard for sustainable fishing. Its certification program is science-based, globally recognized, and relies on third-party auditors, transparent public input, and continuous monitoring to ensure fisheries meet the highest benchmarks for environmental performance and accountability.
The Gulf menhaden fishery successfully addressed all conditional scores from its first certification, demonstrating continuous, measurable improvement.
“Achieving recertification against the MSC Fisheries Standard reflects strong, ongoing stewardship of the resource, including careful monitoring and a clear focus on simultaneously maintaining healthy menhaden populations and protecting the marine ecosystem,” said Marin Hawk, Senior Manager Fishery Partnerships, U.S. at the Marine Stewardship Council. “MSC certification is a long-term commitment requiring continuous improvement and accountability, and the Gulf menhaden fishery’s performance underscores its dedication to sustainable practices. We commend the fishery and all those involved for helping to safeguard the long-term sustainability of this important fishery.”
Menhaden are small, nutrient-rich fish found in abundance along the Gulf Coast and play an important role in both the marine ecosystem and Louisiana’s economy. Harvested using purse seine nets, the species is processed into fishmeal and fish oil – essential inputs for aquaculture, U.S. pet food, livestock feed, and human nutrition – valued for their high omega-3 content.
“This recertification is independent, rigorous, and grounded in science – it confirms that our fishery operates responsibly and sustainably,” said Francois Kuttel, President and Principal Owner of Westbank Fishing. “Every step we take, from modernized nets to management and reporting practices, is independently verified and publicly accountable, leaving no room for doubt about the fishery’s sustainability or its benefit to Louisiana communities and markets.”
Economic Impact and Importance of Recertification
Louisiana’s menhaden industry supports more than 2,000 jobs, and generates approximately $419 million in annual economic impact, and generates $25 million in state and local tax revenue. The industry also purchases more than $62 million in goods and services from Louisiana businesses across 32 parishes.
The fishery is powered by two Louisiana-based, U.S.-owned-and-operated companies – Westbank Fishing, headquartered in Empire, and Ocean Harvesters, based in Abbeville. Each works with a processing partner – Daybrook Fisheries for Westbank and Omega Protein for Ocean Harvesters – that received the official MSC recertification certificates on behalf of the Gulf menhaden fishery.
MSC recertification enhances global market access for sustainably sourced products, helping protect Louisiana jobs while ensuring the industry remains competitive in international markets increasingly driven by sustainability standards.
Science, Management, and Accountability
“This certification is not just about environmental performance – it’s about the people and communities that depend on this fishery,” said Ben Landry, Vice President of Ocean Harvesters. “Independent verification confirms the Gulf menhaden stock is abundant, also the fishery is well-managed, and operates environmentally sustainably, reflecting both the health of the menhaden population and the stewardship of our industry.”
The MSC standard is built on three core principles: maintaining healthy fish stocks, minimizing environmental impact, and ensuring effective, adaptive management systems. Certification requires third-party review, stakeholder engagement, and annual audits to ensure ongoing compliance.
Recent stock assessments and ongoing scientific monitoring consistently show that Gulf menhaden populations remain healthy and are not subject to overfishing. The fishery is widely recognized for its low bycatch rates and efficient harvesting practices.
The Gulf menhaden fishery is the most tightly regulated in the state, overseen by the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, and Louisiana’s wildlife agencies, ensuring layers of state and federal oversight already hold the fishery accountable every day, confirming compliance and sustainability.
According to the most recent stock assessment, Gulf menhaden populations are stronger than at any point in the past four decades, with spawning stock biomass more than tripled since the 1990s. Fishing mortality has declined to just one-third of 1990s levels. The Gulf menhaden fishery harvests less than 2% of total biomass, leaving ample resources in the ecosystem for predators such as red drum, speckled trout, and marine mammals.
Bycatch Study Reinforces Findings
Recertification follows the release of landmark, $1 million state-funded bycatch study which found the Gulf menhaden industry accounts for just 3.4 percent of red drum removals, compared to 96.6 percent attributed to recreational fishing. The findings underscore the Gulf menhaden fishery’s limited ecological impact and adherence to regulatory limits and reinforce that the industry’s impact is monitored, measured, and publicly accountable.
Looking Ahead
The recertification comes as global demand for sustainable seafood inputs continues to grow, particularly in aquaculture and animal nutrition markets.
“Our ability to maintain this certification depends on a consistent commitment to data, transparency, and responsible management,” said Kuttel. “We’ve shown that when a fishery follows strict science-based standards, we can deliver both environmental and economic outcomes – a level of accountability that not all user groups are held to.”
With MSC recertification secured, the Gulf menhaden fishery continues to serve as a global model for sustainability – supporting healthy ecosystems, strong coastal communities, and critical U.S. supply chains – with accountability that is proven, measured, and independently verified.