As someone who has been fishing for 70 years, I remember a time when menhaden were plentiful in our waters. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. Now when I cast out for rockfish in one of Delaware's many waters, I rarely see menhaden.
This small fish, about the size of my hand, has a bigger impact on our ocean's ecosystem than some might know. Once abundant along the entire eastern seaboard, the menhaden population has now reached an all-time low, with an 88 percent decrease in the last 30 years.
Having too few menhaden in the water can have a serious impact on the fish and wildlife that eat them, including recreational species such as striped bass, bluefish and tuna as well as marine mammals and shorebirds.
Lack of menhaden can also have a serious impact on the health of coastal economies and communities. Saltwater sport fishing, whale watching and bird watching generate billions of dollars a year on the East Coast and support diverse businesses.
Menhaden are an integral part of this economy. To ensure that we have a healthy marine environment, which supports a robust coastal economy, we need stronger management measures that allow menhaden stocks to be replenished.
Menhaden, which is high in protein, is currently being overfished for fish oil, and for use in poultry feed and fish meal for farm salmon in numerous states in the Mid-Atlantic.
Overfishing occurs when we catch fish faster than nature can reproduce them.
Read the full article at Delaware Online.
Analysis: The article says that menhaden are "currently being overfished," a claim that is not supported by the most current fisheries data. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), of which the author is a commissioner, concluded in its last stock assessment that menhaden were not overfished, and the incidences of overfishing had only occurred once in the last ten years, in 2008.