October 15, 2012 — Marylanders will get a chance to make their views known at a pair of upcoming hearings on whether fishing for Atlantic menhaden ought to be curtailed to protect "the most important fish in the sea," as some have dubbed it.
Hearings are scheduled from Oct. 16 through Nov. 1 from Maine to North Carolina on whether to cut commercial harvest of menhaden, and if so by how much. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is weighing reductions of up to 50 percent, although doing nothing is also an option.
Though too oily to be good dinner fare, menhaden are widely harvested commercially, with three-fourths of them caught by Omega Protein Corp., a Texas-based company that processes them into animal feed and diet supplements at a plant in Reedville, Va. Others are caught for use as bait by crabbers and fishermen.
But menhaden also serve as food for many birds and other fish, including striped bass, the Chesapeake's premier finfish. Conservationists have been warning the menhaden population is at a low, hurting the species that depend on them, while Omega has disputed the need for reductions. The Atlantic States commission, which regulates in-shore interstate fishing, is expected to make a decision in December.
Here are the Maryland hearings:
1) Easton, Oct. 30, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Easton Armory, 7111 Ocean Gateway;
2) Chesapeake Beach, Nov. 1, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Northeast Community Center, 4075 Gordon Stinnett Drive.
Read the full story at the Baltimore Sun
Analysis: The Sun’s article mischaracterizes the current debate over menhaden catch limits, implying that only Omega Protein opposes reductions in the menhaden catch. The coalition of businesses, government officials, and members of the public opposing new cuts, as well as the scientific debate surrounding them, is much broader than the article indicates.
These cuts are not only opposed by Omega Protein, but also by many bait fishermen across the Atlantic Coast, from Maine to North Carolina. For over a century, the menhaden fishery has long been a vital resource for fishermen and fishing communities, providing jobs and promoting millions of dollars in economic activity. The reduction fishery in Reedville, Virginia alone employs 300 people and is responsible for $80 million in economic output. The bait fishery, much of which operates in the Chesapeake in Maryland and Virginia, supplies some of the most valuable fisheries in the US, including blue crab and lobster. Steep harvest cuts will unnecessarily harm many of these businesses, especially considering that the last menhaden stock assessment found that menhaden were not overfished.
It’s also important to recognize that references to menhaden as “the most important fish in the sea,” are not scientific designations. They are instead derived from the title of a book on menhaden, The Most Important Fish in the Sea, by Rutgers University English professor H. Bruce Franklin. There is no scientific evidence supporting the claim to any fish being “most important,” and it more reflects the views of Dr. Franklin and his supporters, rather than any scientific consensus.