July 2, 2009 MEMORANDUM FOR: Industry Members, State, and NMFS Personnel with Special Interest in the Menhaden Fisheries FROM: Joseph W. Smith SUBJECT: Status Purse-Seine Landings of Gulf and Atlantic Menhaden for the 2009 Fishing Season, plus Coastwide Age Compositions Through June 30, 2009, purse-seine landings of gulf and Atlantic menhaden 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: 589,505 590,094 -0.1% 590,945 -0.2% Total Metric Tons: 179,151 179,330 179,588 Atlantic Menhaden Reedville4 : Total Standard Fish: 63,928 79,482 -19.6% 105,272 -39.3% Total Metric Tons: 19,428 24,155 31,992 1 See reverse side for coastwide age compositions 2 To convert to pounds, multiply by 670 3 To convert to metric tons, multiply by 0.3039 4 Value for 5-yr average may include landings at Beaufort, NC Joseph W. Smith Research Fishery Biologist voice: 252-728-8765, fax: 252-728-8619 NOAA, NMFS, 101 Pivers Is. Rd., Beaufort, NC 28516