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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.17

                   CHANGE OF CONTROL AGREEMENT


      This Change of Control Agreement dated and effective as of February 1,
2000 (this "Agreement") is entered into by and between Omega Protein
Corporation, a Nevada corporation with headquarters in Houston, Texas (the
"Company" or "Omega"), and Jonathan Specht, an individual residing in Harris
County, Texas (the "Employee").

    WHEREAS, the Employee is a key employee of the Company whose services are
important to the Company's ongoing operations; and

    WHEREAS, the Company desires to provide the Employee with certain assurances
regarding his employment in the event of a Change of Control of the Company;

    THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements and
covenants set forth herein, the parties hereby agree as follows:

1. DEFINITIONS. As used herein, the following terms shall have the following
definitions:

"Change of Control"  means (1) that point in time in which Joseph L. von
Rosenberg III no longer serves for any reason as the President and Chief
Executive Officer of the Company, or (2)  that point in time in which a person,
entity or group (as such terms are defined in Sections 13(d) and 14(d)(2) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934) other than (a) the Company or its subsidiaries,
or (b) Zapata Corporation (which as of the date of this Agreement currently owns
approximately 61% of the Company's outstanding common stock), directly or
indirectly acquires beneficial ownership (as defined in Section 13(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act) of thirty percent (30%) or more of the then outstanding
shares of common stock of the Company as a result of such acquisition (provided,
however, that such Change of Control does not occur solely as a result of a
reduction in the number of shares of Company common stock outstanding due to a
repurchase of Company common stock by the Company or its subsidiaries). For
purposes of this Agreement, the Change of Control will be deemed to occur on the
effective date on which such person or entity acquires beneficial ownership of
at least one share greater than thirty percent (30%) of the then outstanding.
Zapata Corporation is not an intended third party beneficiary of this Agreement
so that if, for example, Zapata Corporation were to sell all of its shares of
Omega common stock to a third party which, as a result of that transaction, then
owned greater than 30% of the Company's then outstanding common stock, a Change
of Control would have occurred.

"Qualifying Termination" means (i) the termination of the Employee's employment
for any reason other than death, Due Cause or Disability, (ii) a demotion of the
Employee to a lesser position than the position held by the Employee immediately
prior to the Change of Control or a material change in the Employee's
responsibilities that are substantially similar to such a demotion; (iii) any
decrease in the Employee's base

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salary or removal of his right to participate in bonus and incentive programs
for similarly situated executives; or (iv) any requirement that the Employee
move his permanent resident outside the Houston, Texas and surrounding suburbs
area.

"Disability" means the inability or incapacity (by reason of a medically
determinable physical or mental impairment) of the Employee to perform the
essential functions of the job then assigned to him hereunder for a period that
can be reasonably expected to last more than 120 days.

"Due Cause" means: (i) the Employee has committed a willful serious act, such as
fraud, embezzlement or theft, against the Company or any of its subsidiaries,
intending to materially enrich himself at the expense of the Company or that
subsidiary; (ii) the Employee has been convicted of or pled guilty or nolo
contendre to a felony; or (iii) the Employee has refused to carry out his duties
in gross dereliction of those duties and, after receiving written notice to such
effect from the Company, has failed to cure the existing problem within five
days.

2.  TERM. The term of this Agreement shall commence on the date of this
Agreement and shall continue in effect until terminated by mutual written
consent of the Company and the Employee.

3. CHANGE OF CONTROL.  If, at any time within seven hundred and thirty (730)
days after a Change in Control occurs, and the Company terminates the Employee's
employment by a Qualifying Termination, then the Employee may, at his option and
in his sole discretion, tender to the Company a signed and dated Change of
Control Termination Notice specifying the factual basis of the Change of Control
and the basis for Employee's termination. If the Company does not dispute in
writing the factual basis of such Change of Control Termination Notice within
ten (10) days of Company's receipt thereof, then: (i) the Employee's Employment
shall terminate effective as of the fifteenth (15th) day after the date of the
Change of Control Termination Notice; and (ii) for a one-year period thereafter,
the Company shall continue to pay the Employee his base salary in accordance
with the standard payroll policies of the Company and; (iii) all the rights and
benefits the Employee may have under the employee benefit, bonus and/or stock
option plans and programs of the Company, if any, will be determined in
accordance with the terms and conditions of those plans and programs.

4.  NOTICES. All notices, requests, demands and other communications
given under or by reason of this Agreement must be in writing and will be deemed
given when delivered in person or when mailed, by certified mail (return receipt
requested), postage prepaid, addressed as follows (or to such other address as a
party may specify by notice pursuant to this provision):

(a) If to the Company:

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Omega Protein Corporation
1717 St. James Place, Suite 550
Houston, Texas 77056
Attn: Chief Executive Officer


(b) If to the Employee:

Jonathan Specht
23110 Lodgepoint Dr.
Katy, Texas 77494-2153


4. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement will be governed by and construed in
accordance with the substantive laws (other than the rules governing conflicts
of laws) of the State of Texas.

5. ADDITIONAL INSTRUMENTS. The Employee and the Company will execute
and deliver any and all additional instruments and agreements that may be
necessary or proper to carry out the purposes of this Agreement.

6. ENTIRE AGREEMENT AND AMENDMENTS. This Agreement contains the entire
agreement of the Employee and the Company relating to the matters contained
herein and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, oral or written,
between the Employee and the Company with respect to the subject matter hereof.
This Agreement may not be amended or modified except by an agreement in writing
signed by both parties.

7. HEADINGS. The headings of Sections and subsections hereof are
included solely for convenience of reference and will not control the meaning or
interpretation of any of the provisions hereof.

8. TAX WITHHOLDING. Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, the
Company may withhold from amounts payable hereunder all federal, state, local
and foreign taxes that are required to be withheld by applicable laws or
regulations.

9. SEPARABILITY. If any provision of this Agreement is rendered or
declared illegal, invalid or unenforceable by reason of any existing or
subsequently enacted legislation or by the final judgment of any court of
competent jurisdiction, the Employee and the Company will promptly meet and
negotiate substitute provisions for those rendered or declared illegal or
unenforceable to preserve the original intent of this Agreement to the extent
legally possible, but all other provisions of this Agreement shall remain in
full force and effect.

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10. ASSIGNMENTS. The Company may assign this Agreement to any person or
entity succeeding to all or substantially all the business interests of the
Company by merger or otherwise with the written consent of the Employee. The
rights and obligations of the Employee under this Agreement are personal to him,
and none of those rights, benefits or obligations will be subject to voluntary
or involuntary alienation, assignment or transfer.

11. EFFECT OF AGREEMENT. Subject to the provisions of Section 10 with
respect to assignments, this Agreement will be binding on the Employee and his
heirs, executors, administrators, legal representatives and assigns and on the
Company and its successors and assigns, except as otherwise contemplated hereby.

12. EXECUTION. This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts,
each of which will be deemed an original and all of which will constitute one
and the same agreement.


13. WAIVER OF BREACH. The waiver by either party to this Agreement of a
breach of any provision of the Agreement by the other party will not operate or
be construed as a waiver by the waiving party of any subsequent breach by the
other party.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Employee and the Company have executed this
Agreement effective as of the date first above written.



OMEGA PROTEIN, INC                                               EMPLOYEE



By: _______________________                                 ____________________
   Joseph L. von Rosenberg III                                  Jonathan Specht
   President and Chief Executive Officer

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