Menhaden

Menhaden are small, oily schooling fish of the genus Brevoortia, harvested in large volumes off the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. They are rarely eaten directly as food; instead, they are rendered into fish meal and fish oil. The meal is a high-protein ingredient in animal and aquaculture feeds, while the oil supplies omega-3 fatty acids for supplements and enriched foods. Quotas limit the harvest because menhaden are a key forage species for larger fish and birds.