January 4, 2010


MEMORANDUM FOR: Industry Members, State, and NMFS Personnel with Special Interest in the Menhaden Fisheries

FROM:           Joseph W. Smith

SUBJECT:        Final Status Purse-Seine Landings of Gulf and Atlantic Menhaden for the 2009 Fishing Season, 
		plus Coastwide Age Compositions1

Final landings for the 2009 gulf and Atlantic menhaden purse-seine fishing season for reduction in thousands 
of "standard fish" 2, 3 and metric tons (and for 2008 and 2004-2008 five-year average for equivalent time) are 
as follows:

Gulf Menhaden		 2009		 2008		Change	        5-yr average		Change

  Moss Point, Empire,
  Abbeville, and 
  Cameron combined:
 
Total Standard Fish:  1,505,288       1,399,942          +7.5%            1,478,241              +1.8%
Total Metric Tons:      457,457         425,442                             449,237
                                                  
Atlantic Menhaden

  Reedville4 : 

Total Standard Fish:    473,030         464,406          +1.9%              528,598              -10.5%
Total Metric Tons:      143,754         141,133                             160,641

1 To convert to pounds, multiply by 670
2 To convert to metric tons, multiply by 0.3039
3 Figure for 5-yr average may include landings at Beaufort, NC



United States Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Marine Fisheries Service
Southeast Fisheries Science Center
NOAA Beaufort Laboratory
101 Pivers Island Road
Beaufort, NC  28516 USA