The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Hearings on Atlantic Menhaden

ASMFC SETS SCHEDULE FOR BUNKER REDUCTION ACTION

Public Hearings on Atlantic Menhaden Management Set To Begin Sept. 29



The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) announced this week the schedule of hearings on Atlantic Menhaden Draft Addendum V. Atlantic coastal states from Maine through North Carolina have scheduled hearings to gather public comment on Draft Addendum V to Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden.



The new draft addendum proposes establishing a new interim fishing mortality threshold and target in an attempt to increase abundance, spawning stock biomass, and menhaden availability as a forage species. In other words, the hearings are meant to get public input as to the possibility of reducing bunker harvest in the future by as much as 40%.



Based on the revised 2009 Atlantic menhaden stock assessment, menhaden was not overfished but had experienced overfishing in 2008. Given the current overfishing definition, which sets the fishing mortality rate target at 0.96 and the threshold at 2.2, this is the first time overfishing has occurred since 1998.



"The scientists say that overfishing has occurred in 32 of the last 54 years, yet the main culprits of this resource fiasco over at Omega Protein seem to get all the support in the world to keep doing their thing," said Jim Donforio, executive director at the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA).



"It's staggering to think that the management plan for menhaden that the bureaucrats keep deferring to gives 80% of the resource over to a publicly-held corporation which vacuums as much bunker as they can from the Chesapeake, depleting the resource and causing terrible damage to the ecosystem, while the local traditional bait guys get just 20% of the overall harvest," Donofrio said. RFA recently joined with 32 other organizations under the Menhaden Coalition; Donofrio said he hopes to work proactively with other coalition members in calling for the responsible management of the U.S. bunker fishery.



Thirteen coastal states from Maine to Florida have already banned reduction operations in coastal waters, with Virginia being the last state in the ASMFC which allows Omega full access to its waters in the Atlantic and Chesapeake Bay. Many fishermen and environmental activists alike believe that the localized depletion of Chesapeake Bay bunker has contributed greatly to t problems with water quality on the Bay and with resource issues pertaining to blue crabs, oysters, striped bass and weakfish stocks.



"The reduction boats are the real problem here, and it's time we stop dancing around the issue of the reckless disregard of an industrialized corporate giant masquerading as a fishing operation," Donofrio said. "It serves no conservation benefit to punish the bait fishermen who supply our tackle shops, bait suppliers, anglers and commerical fishermen. What we really need is to adjust the allocation in favor of low impact gear and harvest types and put an end to the mechanized vacuum harvest of menhaden once and for all."



Copies of the draft are available by clicking here - fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input by attending one of public hearings or providing written comments to Toni Kerns, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator for Management, 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at tkerns@asmfc.org (Subject line: Menhaden Draft Addendum V). Comment deadline is November 2, 2011.



The Board is expected to meet in November at the Commission's Annual Meeting to review public comment and consider final action on the Addendum; the intent is to finalize these management measures for implementation in 2013.


New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife

September 29, 2011; 7:00 PM

Township of Toms River

33 Washington Street

L.M. Hirshblond Room

Toms River, New Jersey

Contact: Peter Himchak 609.748.2020



Maine Department of Marine Resources

October 3, 2011; 6 - 9 PM

The Yarmouth Log Cabin

196 Main Street

Yarmouth, Maine

Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207.624.6553



New Hampshire Fish and Game

October 4, 2011; 7 PM

Urban Forestry Center

45 Elwyn Road

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Contact: Doug Grout at 603.868.1095



Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries

September 28, 2011; 7 PM

CoCo Key Hotel & Water Resort-Boston

Newburyport Room

50 Ferncroft Road

Danvers, Massachusetts

Contact: David Pierce at 617.626.1532



Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife

October 5, 2011; 6:00 PM

URI Narragansett Bay Campus, Corless Auditorium

South Ferry Road

Narragansett, Rhode Island

Contact: Jason McNamee at 401.423.1943



Connecticut Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection

September 28, 2011; 4 - 6 PM

Bridgeport Regional Aquaculture Science &

Technology Center

60 St Stephens Road

Bridgeport, Connecticut

Contact: David Simpson at 860.434.6043



October 5, 2011; 4 - 6 PM

The Sound School

60 South Water St

New Haven, Connecticut

Contact: David Simpson at 860.434.6043



October 12, 2011; 7 PM

CT DEEP Marine Headquarters

333 Ferry Road

Old Lyme, Connecticut

Contact: David Simpson at 860.434.6043



Delaware Dept. of Natural Resources & Environmental Control

September 26, 2011; 7:00 PM

Lewes Field Facility

901 Pilottown Road

Lewes, Delaware

Contact: Jeff Tinsman at 302.739.4782



Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources

October 11, 2011; 6 - 9 PM

Tawes State Office Building, C1 Conference Room

580 Taylor Avenue

Annapolis, Maryland

Contact: Lynn Fegley at 410.260.8285



Virginia Marine Resources Commission

October 17, 2011; 6 PM

North Umberland High School Auditorium

201 Academic Lane

Heathsville, Virginia

Contact: Jack Travelstead at 757.247.2248



Potomac River Fisheries Commission

October 18, 2011; 6:30 PM

John T Parran Hearing room

PRFC Commission Building

222 Taylor St.

Colonial Beach, Virginia

Contact: AC Carpenter at 804.224.7148



North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

October 13, 2011; 6 PM

Dare County Administration Building, Room 168

954 Marshall C. Collins Drive

Manteo, North Carolina

Contact: Michelle Duval at 252.808.8011



According to Jim Gilmore, the Chief of the Bureau of Marine Resources for the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), there are no meetings scheduled in New York's marine district, though he encouraged anglers to respond directly to the ASFMC in written or electronic form. New York anglers and environmental advocates who plan on emailing comments directly to the ASFMC should also copy the NYDEC at swheins@gw.dec.state.ny.us. You can also fax a copy of your comments to 631-444-0434.
About Recreational Fishing Alliance
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 888-JOIN-RFA or visit www.joinrfa.org.