Fish_Eye
10-21-2005, 02:39 PM
I recently attended the Fairhaven meeting of the ASMFC as they accepted comment from the public on Amendment 2 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Herring.
I stated for the record that IMHO it’s more than coincidental that the start of the alewife decline began with the join venture herring sales to the Russians and then ALL the runs started to crash with the introduction of the mid-water and pair trawling activity.
If you think the situation with river herring is bad, the impact of the relatively new trawlers in the Gulf of Maine is huge. These vessels are able to overpower an ENTIRE school of herring and catch every last one. At the meeting a number of people described how the once fertile waters of the Gulf are nothing more than a dessert after they get done hauling back. They leave little in the area to hold tuna, feed the whales and dolphins, and it's devastating to the groundfish recovery effort.
The Council is currently behind alternative #7 which restricts the fishing in the Gulf of Maine BUT the fishing industry is hammering away for less stringent regulations.
Every angler that cares about the future of fishing should weigh in with at least a fax to 978-465-3166 or an email comments to: comments@nefmc.org
Feel free to cut and paste this sample letter into a word document and then send it along NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 24.
If you are a member of the RFA just send it in as is, if you are not just delete "and a member of the Recreational Fishing Alliance" and let it fly, or supply your own comments with support for alternative #7
October 21, 2005
Paul J. Howard, Executive Director
New England Fishery Management Council
50 Water Street, Mill 2
Newburyport, MA 01950
Re: Comments on Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan
Dear Mr. Howard:
As a Northeast fisherman and member of the Recreational Fishing Alliance, I strongly support Alternative 7, the Council’s preferred alternative.
I am very concerned about the large volume of herring being caught by the mid-water trawl fleet in New England’s nearshore waters and the negative impact this is having on groundfish, striped bass and bluefin tuna stocks that rely on herring as forage.
In fact, I believe we are on the verge of a herring crisis in our nearshore waters as a result of the volume of herring being taken by the mid-water trawl fleet.
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 coastal 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 anglers up and down the East Coast report a noticeable decline in river herring returning to spawn in their home rivers this year.
I respectfully urge the New England Council to approve ‘Alternative 7’ and incorporate it into Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan.
Forage fish stocks must be maintained to have healthy stocks of predators.
Sincerely,
Name: ________________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________
City: __________________________State: _____ Zip: ___________
Signature: ________________________________
I stated for the record that IMHO it’s more than coincidental that the start of the alewife decline began with the join venture herring sales to the Russians and then ALL the runs started to crash with the introduction of the mid-water and pair trawling activity.
If you think the situation with river herring is bad, the impact of the relatively new trawlers in the Gulf of Maine is huge. These vessels are able to overpower an ENTIRE school of herring and catch every last one. At the meeting a number of people described how the once fertile waters of the Gulf are nothing more than a dessert after they get done hauling back. They leave little in the area to hold tuna, feed the whales and dolphins, and it's devastating to the groundfish recovery effort.
The Council is currently behind alternative #7 which restricts the fishing in the Gulf of Maine BUT the fishing industry is hammering away for less stringent regulations.
Every angler that cares about the future of fishing should weigh in with at least a fax to 978-465-3166 or an email comments to: comments@nefmc.org
Feel free to cut and paste this sample letter into a word document and then send it along NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 24.
If you are a member of the RFA just send it in as is, if you are not just delete "and a member of the Recreational Fishing Alliance" and let it fly, or supply your own comments with support for alternative #7
October 21, 2005
Paul J. Howard, Executive Director
New England Fishery Management Council
50 Water Street, Mill 2
Newburyport, MA 01950
Re: Comments on Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan
Dear Mr. Howard:
As a Northeast fisherman and member of the Recreational Fishing Alliance, I strongly support Alternative 7, the Council’s preferred alternative.
I am very concerned about the large volume of herring being caught by the mid-water trawl fleet in New England’s nearshore waters and the negative impact this is having on groundfish, striped bass and bluefin tuna stocks that rely on herring as forage.
In fact, I believe we are on the verge of a herring crisis in our nearshore waters as a result of the volume of herring being taken by the mid-water trawl fleet.
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 coastal 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 anglers up and down the East Coast report a noticeable decline in river herring returning to spawn in their home rivers this year.
I respectfully urge the New England Council to approve ‘Alternative 7’ and incorporate it into Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan.
Forage fish stocks must be maintained to have healthy stocks of predators.
Sincerely,
Name: ________________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________
City: __________________________State: _____ Zip: ___________
Signature: ________________________________