New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff
Will you help make a difference for our NH fish and wildlife?
Friday 10/20/2017
Will you help make a difference for our NH fish and wildlife?
Have you ever taken a whale watching trip? Are you a striped bass or deep-sea fisherman? Ever watched an osprey dive into the water to catch a fish? Had a bald eagle soar by you on huge wings? What about hearing the wail of a loon at dusk? Well, all these creatures and more are threaded together by one of the sea’s most important pray species of fish called Atlantic menhaden. Locally they are commonly called pogies.
Menhaden historically were super abundant along our coast and helped our sea to hold unbelievable numbers of cod and all sorts of fish. You see menhaden are filter feeders that convert the plankton that grows from sunlight into flesh and food for all manners of fish and wildlife.
For decades menhaden have been managed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Council (ASMFC) as a singles species which meant commercial fishermen could catch and in some cases over catch numbers that caused the population to fluctuate considerably. Little though was given for the importance in the food chain of other species. In fact over the last several decades 85 to 90 percent of the catch was done by a fleet of ships owned by one company in Virginia who then processed the fish into things like fertilizer and chicken feed.
ASMFC is now undergoing a review of the management plan for menhaden. Conservation minded folks up and down the Atlantic coast think that menhaden should be managed in an ecological basis. Here is your chance to lend your support to manage menhaden to help the balance of nature in our sea by leaving enough menhaden for whales, fish and birds to have a plentiful supply to eat as well.
Option E is the preferred conservation option. It sets specific quotas which looks at the needs of the fish that feed on the menhaden by ensuring a healthy unfished stock with the target of 75% of the current biomass. Should the stock drop below 40% it would result in the immediate closure of the fishery.
What you can do
Click to READ Draft Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden, For Public Comment.
You can send individual email comments to comments@asmfc.org with the subject line to reference “Draft Am 3”. Simply state that you are concerned for the long-term conservation of Atlantic menhaden, and urge each ASMFC Commissioner to approve Option E of Amendment A of the propose Plan for improved management of menhaden.
These comments will become part of the public record. Written comments can also be sent to Megan Ware, FMP Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201
In addition Council and/or Chapter representatives and individuals can testify in person at one of many public hearings throughout the Atlantic coast. Here is a link to the public comment meetings.
http://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file//59a84236pr40MenhadenDraftAm3_Hearings_Revised.pdf
