Results of 10/12/04 Menhaden Workshop -- Citizens Urged to Attend Maryland Meeting
October 21, 2004
NCMC EMAIL ACTION NETWORK
Striped Bass/Menhaden
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) sponsored a three-day workshop October 12-14 to look at the science supporting concerns that the ecological role of Atlantic menhaden is at risk and to consider possible changes to the way the fishery is managed, particularly in Chesapeake Bay where most of the fishing effort is concentrated. The National Coalition for Marine Conservation (NCMC) attended the workshop and contributed a paper.
A report of workshop results will be presented to the ASMFC's Menhaden Advisory Panel on October 28th. This report, along with management recommendations from the advisory body, then will be presented to the Menhaden Management Board when it meets November 9th in New Hampshire to decide whether to amend the Atlantic menhaden fishery management plan with new measures to protect the vital forage and filter feeding functions of menhaden.
Among the things the scientists agreed on at last week's workshop:
Menhaden historically have been the dominant prey for many large predators in Chesapeake Bay (and North Carolina), but their contribution as forage has been diminished.
Demand for menhaden as forage has greatly increased in the last 10-15 years.
The overall abundance of all ages of menhaden is at an all-time low. The abundance of other pelagic forage fish (herring, eels, etc.) is low, too.
Menhaden abundance in the Bay is unknown, but is reduced relative to past levels of abundance.
A link between striped bass disease and abundance of menhaden is possible, but has yet to be established.
There may be an imbalance between prey needs of an increased striped bass population and decreased abundance of juvenile menhaden in the Bay.
The harvest of pre-spawning age fish in Chesapeake Bay could impact regional spawning success and recruitment.
The risks associated with localized depletion in the Bay, if it is occurring, are reduced forage for predators, reduced filtering capacity, disruption of the food web and reduced genetic diversity within species.
While the scientists understand and articulated the consequences of menhaden depletion, they could not and did not agree on what specific regulations in the fishery might be instituted as an ecosystem-based response in the absence of firmer estimates of menhaden abundance in Chesapeake Bay or predator needs. It will be up to fishery managers, therefore, to decide what, if any, pro-active measures should be adopted while we seek answers to the many lingering questions. Those decisions will be made within the next few weeks.
we may have BIG pogies in the coming years if they do something about this
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