Euphoria over curbing the commercial harvest of "the most important fish in the sea" may mask the complexity of conserving the species.
Environmentalists, birders, anglers and a New York Times editorial hailed a Nov. 9 vote by a commission of 15 Atlantic coastal states that cut back the commercial harvest of Atlantic menhaden, or "bunker," a herring cousin often described as "the most important fish in the sea."
For "sea," read the Atlantic ocean, of which the menhaden is a cornerstone of the food pyramid, forage for creatures ranging from ospreys and bald eagles to striped bass and bluefish.
"Today's vote is a welcome step for a fish that hasn't caught a break since Dwight Eisenhower was president," said Peter Baker, director of Northeast fisheries at the Pew Environment Group, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. Pew has championed the cause of menhaden conservation, which has spawned myriad advocacy organizations with names such as "Menhaden Defenders."
"Most fishermen will salute the decision as truly positive for predators … fishermen and the environment," said Robert Crook of Madison, head of the Coalition of Connecticut Sportsmen.
"A victory for consumers and for conservationists," said The New York Times, noting that menhaden are eaten by many fish that, in turn, humans consume.
Indeed, the media and a large, disparate segment of the public, from shark-huggers to fish catchers, for whom the menhaden is prime bait, celebrated the decision by the Atlantic States Fisheries Commission as a triumph over huge factory ships, which can hold 500 tons of fish and, some contend, are sweeping the seas clean of the species. All summer, Long Island Sound anglers asked, "Where are the bunker?" They blamed the vessels, traditionally accompanied by spotter aircraft, for the paucity of bunker in local waters. The virtual absence from some estuaries of young menhaden, called "peanuts," also was attributed to overfishing of adults.
The truth is that many factors influence the numbers of peanuts inshore, said Dave Simpson, director of marine fisheries for Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Conservation (DEEP). Menhaden spawn in spring about 50 miles offshore. Eggs and larvae are at the mercy of wind and wave to carry them toward the estuaries that serve as nurseries. If the wind and currents do not cooperate, says Smith, peanuts will be scarce.
"You take what nature gives you," said Smith, one of Connecticut's three representatives on the commission.
Read the full article at Simsbury Patch.