Though it wouldn't kill you to eat one, they are fished mostly for other purposes. (If you are going to eat menhaden or “bunkers,” as the people who eat them often call them, you need to do so when the fish is very fresh, because the flesh tends to decay quickly and the oil become rancid, according to Holzapfel.)

What are bunker fish used for?

They are a major source of omega-3 fatty acids, so they are also used to develop human and animal supplements. In estuaries like the Chesapeake Bay, they are food for striped bass and other fish, as well as for predatory birds, including osprey and eagles.

Is menhaden fish edible?

Yet in its relentless quest to wring profit from the tiny, ecologically vital fish, Omega Protein, a Houston-based company, has done the near-impossible: It has not only made menhaden edible—it's gone one step further and turned it into a health food.