http://www.capenews.net/story.php?id=6697


not my favorite thing to happen but if it is the best for the fishery then so be it

I can't believe that the Fisheries dept.s all along the East coast are'nt officially recognizing the cause of the decline in herring, shad and soon, the 'taug, scup, cunner etc.. They allowed companies like Omega Protein to absolutely decimate the mehaden population, possibly to near extinction, and they're blaming the stripers??. This is ridiculous! Bunker are (were) possibly the most important forage base availible to predator species and they allowed them to be harvested without regulation and the Fed has lent them the money to do it!.They turn them into poultry feed and cooking oil putting farmers who grew (renewable,sustained yield) feed and oil grains out of business. Bay and estuary water quality is declining as the bunker aren't there to filter the nitrogen and feed on the zooplankton. It's no wonder your'e seeing tuna caught from the beach-they don't have anything to eat offshore,so they're coming in to eat the immature bluefish. So now, they're going to punish the small commercial fishermen by closing more fisheries. The stupidity is staggering!. But, then again, Bush got elected......

I can't believe that the Fisheries dept.s all along the East coast are'nt officially recognizing the cause of the decline in herring, shad and soon, the 'taug, scup, cunner etc.. They allowed companies like Omega Protein to absolutely decimate the mehaden population, possibly to near extinction, and they're blaming the stripers??. This is ridiculous! Bunker are (were) possibly the most important forage base availible to predator species and they allowed them to be harvested without regulation and the Fed has lent them the money to do it!.They turn them into poultry feed and cooking oil putting farmers who grew (renewable,sustained yield) feed and oil grains out of business. Bay and estuary water quality is declining as the bunker aren't there to filter the nitrogen and feed on the zooplankton. It's no wonder your'e seeing tuna caught from the beach-they don't have anything to eat offshore,so they're coming in to eat the immature bluefish. So now, they're going to punish the small commercial fishermen by closing more fisheries. The stupidity is staggering!. But, then again, Bush got elected......

Looks like you need to do some homework, first of all, NONE of the species you listed eats menhaden. So no matter how bad a shape the menhaden populations is in, it wouldn't aftect thise species at all. Secondly, according to the ASMFC, there are ample stocks of menhaden on the east coast, the "problem" if one exists, is in localized depletion in the area where Omega protein is fishing, in the Chessapeak bay.

IF they close down mass, they should close down RI too.. I lost count of all the mass plates i saw at my local run.

---CUT---
Offshore commercial fisheries do not harvest herring. There is a sea herring fishery, but those fish are sold as food fish overseas. "In fact, they don’t even want the river herring,’’ Mr. Armstrong said. He added that the sea herring fishermen know that the river herring fishery is politically sensitive. However, it is known that river herring are taken as a buy catch, but there is no data that suggest that the buy catch is part of the river herring population decline.
--CUT--

BUY catch STOP the buy catch!!!!!!
I love that no data on that :realmad:

The state should do more to stop poaching :realmad:

Rec. guys should help cleanup the runs in the spring to help the herring get up to the ponds.

Looks like you need to do some homework, first of all, NONE of the species you listed eats menhaden. So no matter how bad a shape the menhaden populations is in, it wouldn't aftect thise species at all. Secondly, according to the ASMFC, there are ample stocks of menhaden on the east coast, the "problem" if one exists, is in localized depletion in the area where Omega protein is fishing, in the Chessapeak bay.

MakoMike,
The loss of Bunker or any major forage species absolutely does affect the other forage species. Example: Herring, shad, etc face increased predation if the population of the main forage species, ie bunker has been decimated. If the bunker aren't there the predators turn to something else. I think that's what he meant, not that shad and herring eat bunker :boots: .

The ample stocks thing... I know some of the people in ASMFC and I know how much influence the commercial fisheries has in policy. I have seen the numbers and I know what anecdotal evidence I see in the lack of big bunker in NC, MD, CT, RI, and MA, which are the only places I can really comment on. It is not good anywhere. Are you happy with what you see? And with that, knowing that 85%+ of the striped bass come from the Chesapeake, I think the decline in bunker there is of most dire concern. Not that ASMFC is necessarily get anything done about it . :)

Looks like you need to do some homework, first of all, NONE of the species you listed eats menhaden. So no matter how bad a shape the menhaden populations is in, it wouldn't aftect thise species at all. Secondly, according to the ASMFC, there are ample stocks of menhaden on the east coast, the "problem" if one exists, is in localized depletion in the area where Omega protein is fishing, in the Chessapeak bay.
Mike, I'm saying the species I listed are the ones that can be next to become depleted- due to predation- not that they eat menhaden. "Ample stocks" may mean that they can still reproduce a sustainable population for natural predation, not a profit based predation. Not too long ago, I could go to nearly any bay or estuary and snag up a dozen 9-12" bunker from schools 5-600 yds wide. I haven't seen any that size in a while,and other guys I've talked to haven't either."Not Overfished" means there's still some left. The fishing off Chesapeake does affect N.E., menhaden are migratory, one of the things that make the fall run great. Admittedly, I haven't been able to be out as much during the day this year as I'd like,so, has anyone seen large no.s of bunker?P.S.- Thanks Zimmy, and I agree with Nebe and Striper 1

Funny,

There are a few in this thread who are speaking as if they have detailed knowledge of the Menhaden Issue. Isn't it funny that at a Public Hearing on the lastest Menhaden Management Plan held in centrally located Plymouth MA at night so recs could attend, only four rec's showed up, and yes I was one of them. If we with the knowledge only complain on the internet and do not show up at the hearings, we will get what we deserve. A wise man once said that those who do not show up and participate forfeit their right to beeeaaaatttch.

By the way...if you are truely in favor of getting something done with regard to the bycatch issues in the Sea Herring Fishery, there is a hearing in fairhaven tonight and Gloucester on Wednesday. Info can be found at www.msba.net

Point taken Patrick. My alarm comes from what I've experienced while fishing and the reports of a decline in the spawning levels. So, for me it's :read: Thanks

Patrick is right on the money:

"Isn't it funny that at a Public Hearing on the lastest Menhaden Management Plan held in centrally located Plymouth MA at night so recs could attend, only four rec's showed up."

The meeting in RI on Menhaden had a little better attendance and fortunately we were represented by RISAA and they supported the RFA proposal to END ALL INSHORE fishing for Menhaden for the purpose of rendering.

Right now we have another key issue that impacts us right in our own backyard, or should I say rivers, creeks, and streams.

I am absolutely convinced that the recent increase in herring fishing (specifically mid-water trawlers and pair trawlers) off of Maine and Massachusetts has had a distinct bearing on the decline of the river herring. With few observers on board and little effort spent trying to discern the makeup of the catch --unless the bykill is haddock, then they ask for and get a quota :yak4: -- little focus is being put on them as part of the problem. However, they are indeed impacting Atlantic herring and everything that feeds on them.

If you fish for tuna, cod, haddock, stripers, fluke, or for that matter care for dolphin, whales, and turtles...you should make it a point to be at this meeting.

Here's the letter that the RFA sent out to NE membership in May:



May 2005
Dear RFA Member:
There’s an old saying, “find the bait, and you’ll find the fish.” It’s funny how true that can be whether you are fishing for stripers off the beach, targeting giant bluefin offshore, or doing any type of fishing in between. If you fish for cod, striped bass, or bluefin in the Northeast, then you know how important Atlantic herring are as forage and bait for these valuable species.
Unfortunately, we are staring at a herring crisis thanks to the huge commercial mid-water trawlers that have been pounding the herring stocks in the Gulf of Maine and other points off New England over the past several years. These vessels weigh their catch in thousands of metric tons- not pounds or numbers of fish caught. Sign and mail the enclosed postcards today to help bring this fleet under control and conserve the herring stock!
This fleet is taking so many herring from the Gulf of Maine and other New England waters that there’s a lot less forage to attract and hold cod, striped bass and bluefin in Northeast waters. It’s already particularly evident that there’s not enough herring to keep the giant bluefin in New England waters for any extended period and it’s only a matter of time before the lack of herring impacts our other fisheries.
And, as if the mid-water trawl fleet taking tons of herring out of New England’s nearshore waters isn’t bad enough, this fleet is also responsible for a tremendous amount of bycatch of recovering groundfish such as haddock. In fact, the New England Fishery Management Council has recently requested a rule change that would allow the haddock of all sizes being caught by mid-water trawlers to be sold for lobster bait! Furthermore, anglers up and down the East Coast report a noticeable decline in river herring returning to spawn in their home rivers this year.
So what can you do? Sign and mail the enclosed postcards today! The New England Council meets June 21st-23rd in Portland, Maine and they will be voting on preferred alternatives for ‘Amendment 1’ to the Herring Fishery Management Plan. Alternative 7 is the most restrictive on the mid-water trawl fleet and presents the best options to conserve Atlantic herring to make sure an adequate forage base exists to support rebuilding groundfish stocks and to attract and sustain striped bass and tuna.
WE NEED YOU TO ACT TODAY…please take 5 minutes of your time to read, sign, and mail the enclosed postcards. Postcards to the Council must arrive no later than June 17th.
Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Jim Donofrio
Executive Director


Now its time to show up at the meeting and tell them you want to see Alternative 7 put into effect.

Mike

Patrick is correct that public participation is limited (I would like to be there, but its a bit of a drive from sw CT :) ). Another way is to not get a herring permit, not buy eels (they are on the itinerary @AMFC), not buy bunker, not buy Omega III supplements made from fish meal. And explain why you don't when people ask...

Oh yeah and write letters :rtfm:

just fishin, I did see some massive schools of bunker this year. For about a week in late septeber , evey morning , the inner harbor in new haven,ct was a giant school of 14 inch menhaden. I was blown away but, I have only seen them once since then .