Menhaden Bill introduced

[Pt.JudeJoe]

This just in from Steve Medeiros -pres. RISAA~

BILL WOULD BAN COMMERCIAL TAKING OF MENHADEN IN NARRAGANSETT BAY

"Pogey Boats" would be prohibited from taking "the most important fish in the sea"

Bill H.5165 was introduced into the Rhode Island House of Representatives on
January 24, and would amend the R.I. General Law that designates Narragansett
Bay as a Menhaden Management Area.

In the past few years, evidence has been mounting that shows the beneficial
effects of menhaden to the marine environment. Each adult fish can filter about
four gallons of water per minute, removing large amounts of phytoplankton and
detritus from the water, leaving behind purer water that allows sunlight to
penetrate, encouraging the growth of aquatic plants, which in turn releases
oxygen into the Bay, encouraging the life of other fish and shellfish.

This bill was submitted at the request of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers
Association (RISAA), and was sponsored by Rep. Raymond Gallison, Rep. Peter
Kilmartin, Rep. Peter Palumbo, Rep. Peter Ginaitt, and Rep. Douglas Gablinski.
(A companion bill will also be introduced in the Senate, but because of printing
deadlines, it hadn't been done yet. We will acknowledge the sponsors next month)

Because of the importance of this bill, RISAA has partnered with Save The Bay, a
group which will provide support and assistance in passing this legislation.
"We know Menhaden are key to the ecosystem of Narragansett Bay, and deserve real
protection,” said John Torgan, Narragansett Baykeeper. “Save The Bay and RISAA
are joining forces to get better science and management for this most important
fish.”

Other groups which have heard about this legislation have contacted RISAA and
offered support. Scientists from the region, especially the Chesapeake Bay area
where much study has been done already, have offered to help.
Under the current law, Ark Bait, a company from Swansea, Massachusetts, is
allowed to seine millions of menhaden (called pogies locally) which they sell
mostly for lobster bait. The boat shows up each May at the same time menhaden
migrate into Narragansett Bay, and they stay for 4-6 weeks until most of these
fish have been harvested. When there aren't enough left to be financially
feasible to remain in Rhode Island, the boat moves on, spending the summer
fishing in New Jersey waters.

This law, if passed as written, would prohibit the taking of menhaden by purse
seine, which is the method currently used to harvest these fish. This would be
a strong addition to the current law which also bans taking menhaden for
reduction purposes (grinding them up for chicken feed, etc.).

The commercial seiners will still be able to take menhaden, but not in
Narragansett Bay where they are trapped in the Providence River, or along the
shoreline or harbors - easy targets for their spotter aircraft that directs the
boats to scoop up huge schools in a single day.

Beside protecting these fish for their water filtering qualities, an added bonus
is the possible increase in tourism and financial benefit to the state.
Menhaden are prized by recreational fishermen because they are the primary and
most desired food source for most local game fish such as striped bass, bluefish
squeteague, and summer flounder. When the menhaden are plentiful in
Narragansett Bay, so are the striped bass, drawing anglers from all over the region.

Lobstermen would also benefit from this bill. They often complain that striped
bass eat lobsters. That is because their primary food source, menhaden, has
been removed, so they eat to survive. By stopping the Ark Bait Company from
taking most of the menhaden, striped bass and other game fish will consume the
fish nature intended, and this will help the lobster industry.

So, it would seem that passage of this bill is a win-win for almost everyone
concerned. The fish provide a benefit to recreational anglers, lobstermen,
Rhode Island’s economy, and most of all, contributes to a healthy Narragansett Bay.

(The complete text of the bill follows)
------------------
2007 — H 5165
=======
LC00615
=======
S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2007
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO FISH AND WILDLIFE — MENHADEN MANAGEMENT AREA

Introduced By: Representatives Gallison, Kilmartin, Palumbo, Ginaitt, and Gablinske
Date Introduced: January 24, 2007
Referred To: House Environment and Natural Resources

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Sections 20-4.1-1 and 20-4.1-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 20-4.1
entitled “Menhaden Management Area” are hereby amended to read as follows:

20-4.1-1. Designation of menhaden management area. — Narragansett Bay in its
entirety is designated a menhaden management area. The area shall include the
east and west passages of Narragansett Bay, Mt. Hope Bay, and the Sakonnet
River, and be bordered on the
south by a line from Bonnet Point to Beavertail Point to Castle Hill Light. The
southern boundary will then extend from Land’s End to Sachuset Point and then to
Sakonnet Point.

20-4.1-3. Prohibition on the taking of menhaden. — (a) (1) The taking of
menhaden for reduction purposes (fish meal) is prohibited in Rhode Island and
all state waters. A vessel will be considered in the reduction (fish meal)
business if any portion of the vessel’s catch is sold for reduction purposes.
(2) The director of environmental management shall have the power to make
emergency rules regarding this prohibition to protect the public health and
safety from an unexpected hazard or risk. The marine fisheries council shall be
notified of all emergency rules on or before their effective date.
SECTION 2. Section 20-4.1-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 20-4.1 entitled
“Menhaden Management Area” is hereby repealed.
SECTION 3. Chapter 20-4.1 of the General Laws entitled “Menhaden Management
Area” is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

20-4.1-2.1. Purse seining prohibited. – It shall be illegal to harvest menhaden
by use of purse seine in the Menhaden Management Area.
SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon passage.

EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF A N A C T
RELATING TO FISH AND WILDLIFE — MENHADEN MANAGEMENT AREA
***
This act would prohibit the use of purse seining for the harvesting of menhaden.
This act would take effect upon passage.

[snake slinger]

joe this might be a dumb question but what can we do to help get this passed?

[eelman]

Beat me to the punch, that just came thru in a snesa email... I knew about it when it went in on the 24th, lets hope it passes but like anything else, it may take a few tries..its a huge step however!

[Flaptail]

Way to Go RISSA!!!!! Great organization!!!! WAY TO GO!!!!!!!!

[afterhours]

bravo!!!! much needed!!!

[Nebe]

surfcasting in South County was horrible this year because of an abundance of adult menhaden in the bay. be careful what you wish for.

[afterhours]

Originally Posted by Nebe

surfcasting in South County was horrible this year because of an abundance of adult menhaden in the bay. be careful what you wish for.

you don't think it was because of a lack of OTHER baits in soco?

[Nebe]

nope.

[afterhours]

so, are you in favor of menhaden decemation in the bay?

[Jim D]

This past spring/summer was one of the best years from the beach in a long time in NJ. The bunker were all over the place with LARGE on them. Almost every day you could find bass pinning bunker in on the beach and it was game on. The more bunker there are the more they will be spread out in the bay and surrounding areas. Big bait= bigger bass

[ChiefLinesider]

Originally Posted by Nebe

surfcasting in South County was horrible this year because of an abundance of adult menhaden in the bay. be careful what you wish for.

Im excited to see this bill passed. I could only see the fishing improving.

[JohnR]

Fishing would have likely sucked inside the bay AND sucked along SoCo had there been no pogies to keep some fish in the Bay. The reason SoCo sucked was probably not due to the Pogies...

Great job getting this up in front of the people. What WE'LL need to do is to turn the screws on the politicos that will need to vote on this and let them understand, firmly but respectfully, that this is a good thing, and that We Fish and We VOTE!

Kudos to RISAA and Kudos to the people in the legislature with a spring in the heir to push the tide on this ((last part is an inside joke))

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by ChiefLinesider

Im excited to see this bill passed. I could only see the fishing improving.

It will only improve fishing where the menhaden chose to be, and in most cases those places are not your classic surf fishing spots.


you guys can call me a whacko if you like, during the elections you all called spence and i whackos when we voiced our concerns about Bush...

The only people that are truly going to benefit from more pogies are the people with boats, (99% of the commercial bass fishermen) or those shore fishermen who are lucky enough to know where the pogies are close to shore.

thats all i got to say

[Slipknot]

Originally Posted by Nebe

It will only improve fishing where the menhaden chose to be, and in most cases those places are not your classic surf fishing spots.


you guys can call me a whacko if you like, during the elections you all called spence and i whackos when we voiced our concerns about Bush...

The only people that are truly going to benefit from more pogies are the people with boats, (99% of the commercial bass fishermen) or those shore fishermen who are lucky enough to know where the pogies are close to shore.

thats all i got to say

well you are wrong about that.
All of us will benefit from protecting pogies
they keep the ocean alive and provide the high calorie meals large stripers need to grow large faster giving all of us a chance a fatter fish and a healthier ocean.

Good job RISSA I hope it passes.

maybe someday soon, they large schools that once made their way north will be even more abundant.

[afterhours]

[QUOTE=Nebe;456051]


you guys can call me a whacko if you like, during the elections you all called spence and i whackos when we voiced our concerns about Bush...


methinks you've worn that soapbox out

more pogies= more and bigger fish, back in my pinhooking days schools of pogies were everywhere and BIG FAT stripers were abundant. last season 40' fish were going 20-25#..back then these fish were all over 30#. ....hey it's all bush's fault

[Nebe]

Hey, i hope i am wrong, and of course the abundance of pogies will benefit the fish thats a givin. what i am saying is that it will CHANGE the way we fish. spots that were good before pogies might not be good with pogies.

time will tell.

[blue oyster]

anyway to get the recreational fishing alliance on board i would think they would help ? i hope the bill passes and other states take notice and follow suit , i would like to see something similiar for boston haba and quincy bay , although it has been a lot of years since i have seen a pogy boat up here it would be nice to nip it the bud before it happens agian

[Slipknot]

Originally Posted by Nebe

Hey, i hope i am wrong, and of course the abundance of pogies will benefit the fish thats a givin. what i am saying is that it will CHANGE the way we fish. spots that were good before pogies might not be good with pogies.

time will tell.

Ya kind of like the Cape, spots that were once good for sandeels are now loaded with seals , they don't fish the same

I get the picture

[thortum]

You gentlemen know more about this than I do, but let me ask a stupid question. Aren't these same fishing boats going catch the same numbers of menhaden BEFORE they enter the bay? This might make it more difficult but I'm sure they're still going get there fish.

[Raven]

more bait > bigger stripers
>more lobster better prices...

whats not to love... >cleaner water too
awesome bill

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by thortum

You gentlemen know more about this than I do, but let me ask a stupid question. Aren't these same fishing boats going catch the same numbers of menhaden BEFORE they enter the bay? This might make it more difficult but I'm sure they're still going get there fish.

Interesting point... Though I'm not sure Ark will have its spotter plane out hearding the school before it enters the bay... And while they might get some they would not be able to purse the menhaden up into the bay...

[ThrowingTimber]

Originally Posted by Nebe

surfcasting in South County was horrible this year because of an abundance of adult menhaden in the bay. be careful what you wish for.

Ebeb, Dude you are without a doubt the most selfish person I know...


I hope this passes. Would be good to see some life back in the bay...

[ThomCat]

I know there were many schools of pogies in both Salt Pond and Charlestown Pond last season along with herring and hickory shad. Hopefully with greater numbers of menhaden not being sucked up in the Bay, their distribution will become more widespread. It was like that back in the eighties when schools of mehaden roamed the South Shore and the breachways. I remember the channel at Galille being so packed with pogies that the old paper machine would be black from top to bottom.
The corilation between this subject and Bush, however, somehow escapes me. But hey, I can't handle the hot sauce either!!!
Catch'em up,
ThomCat

[eelman]

Originally Posted by ThrowingTimber

Ebeb, Dude you are without a doubt the most selfish person I know...


I hope this passes. Would be good to see some life back in the bay...

On this TT I agree with you, all that aside, the bunker boat was in the bay last year and the fishing was still tremendous!There were still plenty of pogies, thats two years in a row now. If this passes it benifits everyone.

[NIB]

Trust me on this ..
It is good to protect the pogies..

Write ur local representatives in support of this bill.
A list should be compiled an listed..
Large fishing groups an organizations should be herd from..
They listen to the votes..make it known u fish an u vote..

[riverrat2]

This is a very goood thing. Now how bout down in Virginia........ya right

[FishHawk]

Now were talking . If you protect the bait the bass will survive. It's all about the habitat and the bait. FishHawk

[JFigliuolo]

I agree, the bait should be protected. I also agree w/Eben though. The Surfacster will see little short term benefit (most likely detriment) as the fish last year were on the pogies in the bay.

[eelman]

Originally Posted by JFigliuolo

I agree, the bait should be protected. I also agree w/Eben though. The Surfacster will see little short term benefit (most likely detriment) as the fish last year were on the pogies in the bay.

I would think the overall good far outweighs a surfcaster not wanting the fish to follow the bait?? thats ridiculas, surfcasters will have to adapt and learn new places to fish, there is nothing wrong with fishing the bay and there are plenty of places to go, with a little effort and willingness to learn a new spots, the world does not revolve around gansett surf fisherman or from first rock to point judith...If this passes the bay will be like what it was a long time ago and, it was fantastic many many large bass were caught with regularity in the bay. This will change things no doubt but, for the good! From what I saw last year I wouldent move to South County now if I were paid to do so! It was that good, even with the bunker boat in the bay..Imagine without it!! everything has cycles and the pogies are back strong , with a little help they will thrive.

[RIROCKHOUND]

Bill;
I think the numbers of adult pogies are improving, but no where near where it was when I was a kid and you could walk across the harbors on Pogy schools.