Menhaden are small, silvery fish belonging to the herring family. They swim in large schools along the Atlantic coast of North America and in the Gulf of Mexico. Unlike most fish that end up on dinner plates, menhaden are rarely eaten whole — they’re bony and strongly flavoured.
Their significance lies almost entirely in their oil. Menhaden oil is one of the most commercially important sources of omega-3 fatty acids used in supplements, animal feed, and industrial applications. The fish also play a critical ecological role as filter feeders, consuming vast quantities of algae and plankton, which helps maintain water quality in coastal ecosystems.
Menhaden have been fished commercially for over a century, and their populations are closely monitored due to their importance both as an industrial resource and as prey for larger fish, seabirds, and marine mammals.
How it's produced
Menhaden are wild-caught using purse seine nets, where large schools are encircled and hauled aboard specialised fishing vessels called steamer ships. The catch is transported to reduction plants where the fish are cooked, pressed, and processed to extract oil and produce fishmeal.
There is no significant aquaculture of menhaden. The fishery is concentrated along the US Atlantic and Gulf coasts and is managed through quota systems. Most of the global menhaden catch comes from a small number of large-scale industrial fishing operations.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
≈ Estimated from its category — typical for other red meat, not measured for this item yet. Sources & methods →
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