The Future of Atlantic Menhaden Is Being Decided Now!
Anglers have chance to design blueprints for forage fish recovery
Menhaden Update
The Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission is proposing to create Addendum II to the Atlantic Menhaden Fishery Management Plan, which would create new, more conservative reference points for management of this important forage fish. This is the Public Information Document (PID) phase, which is the start of the process. The ASMFC will use the information generated here to create the Draft Addendum sometime this summer.
CCA chapters on the Atlantic coast are submitting testimony at public hearings stating our position that restoring the menhaden resource to historic levels of abundance must be the primary management objective of the Amendment. Fisheries that can operate without depleting the overall abundance of the menhaden resource or fishing on immature fish, and which avoid concentrating effort in relatively small, ecologically important areas such as the Chesapeake Bay, must be governed by adequate monitoring and enforcement measures. Fisheries which cannot meet such basic criteria should be prohibited.
Every angler has a part to play in this effort, as was demonstrated late last year when the ASMFC received almost 92,000 comments demanding reductions in menhaden harvest by the greatest amount available. That outpouring of support got the ball rolling, and now we need to see it through to a successful conclusion.
What you need to do now
The ASMFC is again taking public comments and presenting a suite of options for reducing menhaden harvest. Now is the time for you to contact your ASMFC and let them know you want to end overfishing of the menhaden fishery in 2013 in order to begin restoring abundance to the Atlantic menhaden stock. The menhaden stock has declined to the lowest abundance since records were kept in 1955. Send your comments to ASMFC by April 20th to be included in the public record.
Tell them:
• You support ending overfishing by implementing management measures to reduce fishing mortality to the overfishing threshold, which is F=15% Maximum Spawning Potential (MSP) in 2013.
• You support reducing mortality to the Target mortality rate (F=30% MSP) as soon as possible, certainly no longer than 3 years.
• You support a having full suite of management measures for the commercial fishery, with the exception of limited entry.
A sample letter is available for your convenience that you may use to send your comments to ASMFC.
Michael Waine,
Fishery Management Plan Coordinator
1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N
Arlington, VA 22201
[email protected]
Subject line: PID Menhaden Management
I believe that restoring the menhaden resource to historic levels of abundance must be the primary management objective of the Amendment. Fisheries that can operate without depleting the overall abundance of the menhaden resource or fishing on immature fish, and which avoid concentrating effort in relatively small, ecologically important areas such as the Chesapeake Bay, must be governed by adequate monitoring and enforcement measures. Fisheries which cannot meet such basic criteria should be prohibited.
Menhaden management is at a critical juncture – overfishing is occurring, even under the old reference points, and must be addressed immediately. Menhaden abundance is at the lowest level in the 50-plus year time series, which, in my view, is a serious management problem.
I believe management measures must be put in place to reach the current fishing mortality threshold and end overfishing in 2013, and that management measures must be in place to meet the current fishing mortality target no later than 3 years later, in 2016, with a 75 percent probability of success.
Putting in place these basic fishery management measures, which are common to virtually all managed stocks, will, at the very least halt, the decline in menhaden abundance and increase spawning stock biomass.
I support putting in place the full suite of commercial management measures, with the exception of limited entry, but question the need for recreational management measures, which comprises less than 1 percent of the harvest.
I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to comment on proposed menhaden management measures.
Your Name
Your Locality and State
Your ASMFC contact information is as follows:
Michael Waine,
Fishery Management Plan Coordinator
1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N
Arlington, VA 22201
703.842.0741 (FAX) or
[email protected]
Subject line: PID Menhaden Management
We encourage every angler to make their voice heard during this historic process to finally manage menhaden. Industrial harvesters will be using every resource to defeat these efforts and our case is made even stronger by concerned citizens like you contacting these representatives. For more information, including CCA’s positions on this important issue, click HERE.
This CCA VA alert was provided as a public service by the Coastal Conservation Association Virginia (CCA VA). Feel free to forward it to your friends and associates. If you have any comments concerning this subject, send an email to [email protected]. CCA VA is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization whose goal is sustainable saltwater fisheries for this and future generations. We are active in legislative, regulatory, and educational activities affecting marine resources. Please visit our website http://www.ccavirginia.org/ for more information