FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 10, 2005
CONTACT: Courtney Thompson
[email protected]
ASMFC Takes Action to Cap Menhaden Harvest in Chesapeake
Alexandria, VA- The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) met yesterday and took action to cap the menhaden harvest in the Chesapeake Bay at 110,400 metric tons for the years 2006 and 2007. Many believe controlling the menhaden harvest is the key to ensuring the future health the Bay.
It has long been the position of the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) and the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association, (MSSA) it's Maryland affiliate, that the ASMFC must take measures to stop the state of Virginia from allowing unrestricted menhaden purse-seining in the Chesapeake Bay. In addition, RFA and MSSA have urged the ASMFC to establish a total allowable harvest for the menhaden industry coast-wide.
While menhaden are not edible by humans, they are one of the most important fish in the Chesapeake for serving as the foundation of the food chain for predators such as striped bass, bluefish, and weakfish and for controlling plankton levels by filter feeding. However, menhaden are also the number one target of the menhaden reduction industry which uses a fleet of large purse seine vessels to harvest enormous amounts of menhaden from the Bay primarily to process them for their oil.
Yesterday's action was taken at a joint meeting between the ASMFC's Menhaden Management Board and Menhaden Technical Committee where members discussed possible long-term management measures and the necessity of implementing measures immediately. The ASMFC also plans to collect data to shed light on several factors which are related to "local area depletion" in the Chesapeake Bay. " Local area depletion" of menhaden occurs when total removals from a defined area reduce the numbers of fish to a level which is inadequate to allow the species to provide it's historical function as forage and perform it's historical ecological functions.
"The effects of local area depletion are primarily a Maryland / Virginia issue, therefore the RFA has worked extensively with our good friends at the MSSA to address these issues," said Jim Donofrio, RFA Executive Director. "The MSSA is one of the largest and strongest statewide recreational angling organizations on the East Coast. MSSA has a history of supporting RFA at every turn."
For over four years the RFA has supported efforts to correct problems stemming from menhaden purse-seining on many fronts by providing funding, in house and independent consultants, at the federal, state and local level, while supporting the MSSA.
"The MSSA has preferred to maintain a low profile approach rather than creating on open adversarial confrontation with the menhaden industry," said Bill Windley, long term MSSA President, and RFA's "Senior Advisor for Interstate Fisheries". "We feel that up until this point we have held a stronger negotiating position by taking this approach. Today that all changed."
At yesterday's meeting, representatives from the menhaden industry essentially threw down the gambit, by showing no intent to mitigate the damage they are doing to the Bay. They went so far as to threaten the ASMFC with legal action.
Next, the ASMFC's action will be presented to the public in a Public Information Document and public hearings will be held.
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The Recreational Fishing Alliance is a national, grassroots political action organization representing recreational fishermen and the recreational fishing industry on marine fisheries issues. The RFA Mission is to safeguard the rights of saltwater anglers, protect marine, boat and tackle industry jobs, and ensure the long-term sustainability of our Nation's saltwater fisheries. For more information, call 1-888-JOIN-RFA.
