It is also important to note there has never been a bona fide stock assessment to estimate the number of menhaden in the Bay.

Source: https://augustafreepress.com/news/action-needed-to-curb-menhaden-net-spills-harvest-in-chesapeake-bay/

Native river plants filter nutrients and create habitat for fish like the menhaden, which mature in the river and are often called the most important fish in the sea.

Source: https://www.courant.com/2023/10/01/theres-a-scourge-on-the-connecticut-river-it-could-threaten-1b-a-year-contributor-to-state-economy/

“This is great news for menhaden, the recreational anglers of Louisiana, and the local businesses they support,” says Brett Fitzgerald, executive director for the Angler Action Foundation.

Source: http://klax-tv.com/louisiana-issues-proposed-regulations-to-protect-redfish-conserve-nearshore-habitat-from-industrial-menhaden-fishery-impacts/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=louisiana-issues-proposed-regulations-to-protect-redfish-conserve-n

Walt Golet, a marine scientist with the University of Maine and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, said that a strong population of menhaden, now a favorite prey of tuna, has helped the tuna population.

Source: https://www.bangordailynews.com/2023/08/04/opinion/opinion-contributor/700-pound-tuna-maine-casco-bay-bluefin-bonanza/