US-ENVIRONMENT-ECONOMY-LABOR-FISHING-OMEGA

A school of Menhaden fish thrash in a net before being loaded into the refrigeration compartments of the 'Reedville' off the coast of Smith Island, Virginia on June 22, 2015. Somers is a 5th generation fisherman from the area, his father and grandfather also worked in the same company, and two of his sons work with him on the boat as fisherman. With over 308 million USD in revenue in 2014, Omega Protein began as a fishing port for Menhaden fish in 1878, and many of the fisherman in Reedville are 3rd or 4th generation fisherman from the area. Atlantic Menhaden are harvested along the US gulf and Atlantic as a nutritional supplement for human and animal consumption in oils, essential fatty acids and specialty protein products. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) sets the Menhaden catch limit per year and it is currently at 187,880 metric tons. AFP PHOTO/ ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS (Photo credit should read Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)