The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Council is asking for public comments on their plan to regulate the menhaden fishery. Anyone interested in fishing the Bay or even for stripers in the Potomac should get involved in this process.
Most of us recognize that menhaden are an important food for the fish we target, especially stripers, bluefish, and mackerel. They are not considered table fish, but they are harvested and used in pet food, aquaculture, and fish oil supplements. Unfortunately, menhaden have been overharvested, and their stocks are at the lowest levels in decades. This means predator fish like striped bass and bluefish have fewer fish to eat. More on menhaden here: http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/fish-facts/menhaden
Having recognized the problem, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is looking at changes in how they manage and limit the menhaden harvest. You can read their full document here: http://asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/AtlMenhadenAmend3PID_PublicComment.pdf
Keep America Fishing, an advocacy organization, says that the main goals of the new plan should be a) to reduce the harvest by keeping 75% of the menhaden population in the water, b) to include menhaden as bycatch in the total harvest count, and c) to protect the Chesapeake - the main breeding site for menhaden - with a sharply reduced cap on harvest there. KAF has a handy lobby-bot that you can use to send the ASMFC: https://keepamericafishing.org/action-center/?v=7516fd43adaa
For those of us who live in Virginia, there will be an important second step: lobbying our legislators to accept the new reductions. In Virginia, the menhaden fishery is regulated by the General Assembly, who in the past have sometimes resisted ASMFC rules. The biggest harvester of menhaden in the Chesapeake, Omega Proteins, has a facility in Reedville, VA, where their catch is 'reduced' into fish oil for pet food and supplements. More on VA here: http://www.virginiaplaces.org/natural/menhaden.html
I know this is a lot of info, but please at least check out the KAF site, and let the ASMFC know that you care about the Bay and its fish.
thanks,
Miles
-- Most of us recognize that menhaden are an important food for the fish we target, especially stripers, bluefish, and mackerel. They are not considered table fish, but they are harvested and used in pet food, aquaculture, and fish oil supplements. Unfortunately, menhaden have been overharvested, and their stocks are at the lowest levels in decades. This means predator fish like striped bass and bluefish have fewer fish to eat. More on menhaden here: http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/fish-facts/menhaden
Having recognized the problem, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is looking at changes in how they manage and limit the menhaden harvest. You can read their full document here: http://asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/AtlMenhadenAmend3PID_PublicComment.pdf
Keep America Fishing, an advocacy organization, says that the main goals of the new plan should be a) to reduce the harvest by keeping 75% of the menhaden population in the water, b) to include menhaden as bycatch in the total harvest count, and c) to protect the Chesapeake - the main breeding site for menhaden - with a sharply reduced cap on harvest there. KAF has a handy lobby-bot that you can use to send the ASMFC: https://keepamericafishing.org/action-center/?v=7516fd43adaa
For those of us who live in Virginia, there will be an important second step: lobbying our legislators to accept the new reductions. In Virginia, the menhaden fishery is regulated by the General Assembly, who in the past have sometimes resisted ASMFC rules. The biggest harvester of menhaden in the Chesapeake, Omega Proteins, has a facility in Reedville, VA, where their catch is 'reduced' into fish oil for pet food and supplements. More on VA here: http://www.virginiaplaces.org/natural/menhaden.html
I know this is a lot of info, but please at least check out the KAF site, and let the ASMFC know that you care about the Bay and its fish.
thanks,
Miles
http://www.tpfr.org
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