Last week, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the governing body that oversees management of fish stocks along the Atlantic coast, met in Boston and voted to reduce the harvest of Atlantic menhaden by 37 percent when new rules are implemented in 2013.
If this actually comes to pass, it will be immediately beneficial to the fish, the water quality and ultimately, all of us.
During a public comment period leading up to this meeting, nearly 92,000 opinions were heard with the vast majority in favor of reductions.
Additionally, the scientific evidence they looked at from outside sources finally demonstrated what recreational anglers and conservationists have been saying for years — that the spawning stock of menhaden were disappearing from multiple areas along the coast at an alarming rate.
This is the first time in history such a menhaden catch decrease will be required, and for now the work begins on determining exactly how to carry out the reductions.
Menhaden are bony, oily and a most unappetizing fish to humans.
However, to striped bass, bluefish, weakfish, sea turtles, osprey and other fish-eating marine mammals they are a protein-rich delicacy and a vital part of the natural food chain.
Some people even refer to them as the most important fish in the sea.
After the vote, Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) said, “All of us in Maryland commend the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which today took historic action to reduce fishing pressure on menhaden. The new, more conservative fishing threshold and target are significant steps in ensuring a sustainable future for menhaden.”
The ASMFC is made up of representatives from the Atlantic coastal states and a few other federal and regional partners such as the National Marine Fisheries Service.
The official vote on this issue was 14-3. Voting against the menhaden reduction were New Jersey, Virginia and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission.
The Virginia nay vote was not unexpected, for menhaden management is quite a peculiar issue for our southern neighbor.
Read the full article at SoMdNews.com
Analysis: The article's account of Omega’s relationship with Zapata Corp. is riddled with errors, implying a current relationship between the two companies when none exists. Omega has its origins Haynie Products, Inc., a company involved in the menhaden fishery and reduction industry since the early 20th century. In 1970, they merged with Zapata Oil, with Zapata taking a 59% share of the company. The newly formed Zapata Haynie Corp. would eventually be renamed Omega Protein, and became a publicly listed company in 1998. Zapata has since divested itself of its Omega stock, giving up majority control of the company in 2006; Zapata sold its last shares in Omega in 2008, making the companies completely independent of one another.
The article also ignores the fact that, according to the most recently available scientific data, menhaden are being fished sustainably. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) 2010 stock assessment concluded that the menhaden population was not overfished, and that overfishing had only occurred once in the last decade.