Last Fling (Great Egret)
Anyone visualizing a last second reprieve for the gulf menhaden will be disappointed, as Great Egrets rarely slip between the grab and the gullet. But not to worry, menhaden by the millions wash into the bayou and other coastal estuaries as larvae with the push of south winds in the spring, growing to a couple of inches by the end of summer when the first northers send them back out into the Gulf of Mexico where they mature at about six inches. Enough survive to make them the third largest fish harvest in the country, used mainly in pet foods, fish oil, and other non-edible products.
Last Fling (Great Egret)
Anyone visualizing a last second reprieve for the gulf menhaden will be disappointed, as Great Egrets rarely slip between the grab and the gullet. But not to worry, menhaden by the millions wash into the bayou and other coastal estuaries as larvae with the push of south winds in the spring, growing to a couple of inches by the end of summer when the first northers send them back out into the Gulf of Mexico where they mature at about six inches. Enough survive to make them the third largest fish harvest in the country, used mainly in pet foods, fish oil, and other non-edible products.