APPENDIX, TET APPENDIX IIT 
exist to control either total catch or fishing effort. All 
management actions are exclusively voluntary by the industry. 
OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH AND 
DEVELOPMENT OF THE FISHERY 
Resource availability--Atlantic 
NMFS believes that production can be increased if the 
fish stocks are carefully managed. Its estimate of MSY for 
this resource is 881,840,000 pounds. The 1975 catch was 
605,770,000 pounds. 
Resource availability--gulf 
NMFS's latest MSY estimate for the gulf is over 1 
billion pounds. NMFS studies and analyses showed that: 
--The gulf menhaden resource is healthy and producing 
an annual catch that is considered sustainable. 
--Due to dependence of the fishery on mostly l1- and 
2-year old menhaden, sizable fluctuations in an- 
nual landings should be expected. 
--Major expansion in landings or in fishing effort is 
not suggested by the information and analyses 
available at this time. 
--Overfishing, or the taking of excessive amounts of 
fish, is not indicated. 
--Adequate numbers of adult gulf menhaden are presently 
available for spawning and to insure the future pro- 
duction of eggs and resulting.young fish for the near 
term. 
--The future of the gulf menhaden resource and pro- 
ductive fishery depends on maintaining the exist- 
ing quality and quantity of estuary habitat essential 
for this species. 
An industry representative said that the estimates of 
potential resources for the gulf and Atlantic seem reasonable. 
But, he said that others in the menhaden industry would prob- 
ably not accept this data and would adamantly attack it. 
Harvesting capability--Atlantic 
The harvesting capability in the Atlantic menhaden 
fishery is adequate. NMFS believes there should be less 
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