Saving Seafood

Oil spills disrupt entire food webs, new study shows

July 10, 2017 — New research suggests the ecological impact of an oil spill is comprehensive, yet environmental assessments are often too narrow in scope.

Too often, researchers argue, oil spill assessments focus exclusively on the species most obviously affected. But the latest study shows oil spills have unexpected — and indirect — impacts on species farther down the food chain.

In reassessing studies of food webs in the Gulf of Mexico in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, researchers showed the loss of seabirds and marine mammals was linked with increases in forage fish populations.

The loss of predators, the new analysis showed, yielded increases in the abundance of menhaden, a group of forage fish species.

“Our discovery suggests that the structure of food webs change after an oil spill, which may be much more damaging to fish and other aquatic fauna than the direct impacts of the spilled oil itself,” researcher Jefferey Short said in a news release.

Short and his research partners published their findings this week in the journal Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology.

Read the full story at UPI

What factors play a role in analyzing forage fish fishing regulation?

July 7, 2017 — The interaction of predators, fishing and forage fish is more complicated than previously thought and that several factors must be considered, says researcher.

The group of researchers was evaluating the interaction after results from an earlier report found that fishing of forage species had a large effect on predator population, said the Marine Ingredients Organization (IFFO). Those harvested fish are used in several areas including as feed ingredients.

The new study was initiated because there were some questions regarding the methods used in the initial project, said Ray Hilborn, with the school of aquatic and fishery sciences at the University of Washington and corresponding author.

“When the original Lenfest [Forage Fish Task Force] report came out, a few of us said it seemed that the methods they were using were not up to the questions they were asking,” he told FeedNavigator. The report also offered several policy recommendations, he added.

“It was on our radar screen,” he said. “And one of the things I’ve been interested in looking at is the intensity of natural fluctuation in populations, and forage fish are notable for how much they vary naturally.”

The interaction between forage fish populations and predators is more complicated than may have been suggested by earlier studies tracking that relationship, and several factors need to be considered when analyzing the role that fishing plays on that relationship, he said. “The key point isn’t that there isn’t an impact, but that you have to argue case-by-case,” he added.

Several factors need to be considered when assessing the interaction among predators, forage species, and fishing of those forage species, the researchers said in their study. “We show that taking account of these factors generally tends to make the impact of fishing forage fish on their predators less than estimated from trophic models,” they added.

Read the full story at Feed Navigator

Increased whale sightings in New York City waters a sign of cleaner waters

July 6, 2017 — New video shows a diver off the coast of Tasmania coming face to face with a whale recently in a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.

But you don’t have to travel to Australia to see these marine giants–they’re now in the waters off New York City.

Though the Hudson River was once a national symbol for pollution, humpback whales have become a more common sight around New York and New Jersey, reports CBS News correspondent Jeff Glor.

A whale sighting may look like an acrobatic display with its fluke set against the city’s skyscrapers, but they’re actually lunge feeding–attacking fish called menhaden.

“One of the things that brings everything together is this food chain,” said Paul Sieswerda, the president of the non-profit Gotham Whale. He says menhaden are thriving because the water is cleaner.

Read the full story at CBS This Morning

LYNTON S. LAND: Bay fishery to keep deteriorating unless nutrients from land are addressed

June 28, 2017 — The March Bay Journal 2017 commentary, Don’t let menhaden become a case of could have, should have, would have, laments the decline in Bay menhaden populations and blames the reduced number of predatory “sport” fish on Omega Protein’s harvest.

The Atlantic States Marine fisheries Commission is quite clear this year that “Atlantic menhaden are neither overfished nor experiencing overfishing” (asmfc.org/species/atlantic-menhaden).

In Maryland, juvenile menhaden are sampled annually through the Estuarine Juvenile Finfish Survey. The index of juvenile menhaden has been low since 1992, and “environmental conditions seem to be a major factor driving recruitment.” (dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/Documents/Section_4_Atlantic_Menhaden.pdf).

Something other than overfishing must contribute to, or even be responsible for, reduced Bay menhaden populations. I contend that the primary cause of depleted finfish stocks, including bottom-feeding fish like croaker that do not eat menhaden, and the menhaden themselves, is poor water quality, not overfishing.

As a child in the late 1940s, I recall visiting my uncle’s cottage on the water near Solomons Island, MD, where we caught large bluefish and rockfish. He would give me a quarter to pull up eelgrass from under his boat so the propeller wouldn’t chop it up and foul the engine’s water pump. Dense meadows of grass were obvious beneath the clear water. I doubt there is much eelgrass anywhere near Solomons Island today and Bernie Fowler’s “Wade-In” documents turbidity and the fact that there has been no recent improvement.

I moved to Virginia’s Northern Neck on the Little Wicomico River, near Smith Point, in 1998. At that time, I could exit the jetties and turn to the southeast into about 30 feet of water and easily catch large croaker, as well as spot, trout and flounder. I haven’t caught fish there, nor seen them on the depth sounder, in many years.

The pound nets nearby still catch menhaden for crab bait, although they are smaller than fish in the past. They no longer catch many “food fish.”

In about 2000, big Omega trawlers fishing for menhaden were common up to the Maryland-Virginia line. Now, I never see the trawlers and most of the plentiful menhaden are being caught outside the Bay, where the population is robust. In late summer, schools of Spanish mackerel and bluefish once chased bait on the bar west of Smith Point Light. Casting into the schools, as they were being worked by birds, or trolling beside them, was great fun and very productive. No more.

Spanish mackerel, my favorite fish, are no longer abundant and I rarely see birds actively working the water. Trolling for big rockfish was almost always successful a decade ago. Lately it is more often unsuccessful, although a few are still being caught.

Read the full opinion piece at the Bay Journal

ASMFC Releases Atlantic Menhaden Socioeconomic Report

June 28, 2017 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission releases the report, “Socioeconomic Analysis of the Atlantic Menhaden Commercial Bait and Reduction Fishery,” which characterizes coastwide commercial menhaden fisheries, including bait and reduction sectors and the fishing communities they support. The report’s findings will be used to inform the Commission’s Atlantic Menhaden Management Board as it considers potential management changes to menhaden commercial bait and reduction fisheries through Draft Amendment 3. Additionally, information from the report will be incorporated into the socioeconomic section of Draft Amendment 3, which is scheduled to be released for public comment in August.

In March 2016, the Commission awarded a grant to the research team of Dr. John Whitehead of Appalachian State University and Dr. Jane Harrison from North Carolina Sea Grant to conduct a socioeconomic study of Atlantic menhaden commercial fisheries. Over the past year, the team has collected and analyzed data to describe the coastwide commercial fisheries. The team interviewed stakeholders and conducted industry surveys to characterize participation in the menhaden fishery, vessel and gear characteristics, as well as identify substitute products, subsidies, and other sources of employment. Interview and survey data also provided information on recent market changes, state-quota impacts, and fishing communities. In addition, a public opinion internet survey was conducted, involving over 2,000 respondents from Maine, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida. A secondary data analysis was conducted using Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program data on pounds landed, ex-vessel revenues, and trips. An economic impact analysis was also performed to evaluate the effects of varying levels of quota on both the bait and reduction sectors.

Some of the report’s primary findings include:

  • Interviews and surveys of commercial fishermen and other industry members found many agreed demand for menhaden bait, oil, and meal had increased in recent years.
  • The public survey used hypothetical quota variations, with associated changes in fisheries revenue, jobs, and ecosystem services. Survey results indicated a willingness to trade-off some amounts of fisheries revenue in exchange for improvements in ecosystem services; however, willingness was influenced by the respondents’ attitudes and characteristics (i.e. perceptions about the importance of menhaden as bait for recreational/commercial fishing, as a contributor to their state’s economy, as a source of food for predators, etc.)
  • Analysis of historic landings data found prices for menhaden were negatively related to landings levels, but the relationship was small and insignificant in some instances. This suggests quota reductions might reduce commercial fishery revenues, as decreases in landings are not fully compensated by higher prices.
  • Analysis of the economic impacts of quota changes indicated increases and decreases in total allowable catch corresponded to income and employment increases and decreases, and these effects were concentrated in New Jersey and Virginia.

 The full report can be found on the Commission’s website at http://www.asmfc.org/files/Atlantic%20Menhaden/ASMFC_MenhadenSocioeconomicReport_June2017.pdf. For more information, please contact Shanna Madsen, Fisheries Science Coordinator, at smadsen@asmfc.orgor 703.842.0740.

MAINE: Fishermen, regulators disagree over cause of Brunswick fish kill

June 26, 2017 — As a massive vacuum truck from Clean Harbors traveled along the shoreline near Simpsons Point midweek to clean up rotting pogies, local fishermen were battling what they say was a raft of misinformation put forth by the state about how and why those pogies were dumped from a local fishing vessel on June 6.

On Tuesday, a day after residents of the Simpsons Point area asked town councilors to help pay for a professional cleanup of the fish, local lobsterman Steve Anderson posted a 10-minute video on YouTube, taking local media to task for only reporting part of the story and excoriating the Maine Department of Marine Resources for a quota system Anderson said simply doesn’t work.

Anderson declined requests to speak to the Bangor Daily News this week.

But Jeff Nichols, spokesman for the DMR, said Friday that Anderson “got a lot of things wrong,” including that DMR imposes the quota system. According to Nichols, while fishermen are still held to a quota,they can transfer their catch to another vessel, to act as a carrier vessel.

Quotas for Atlantic Menhaden, or pogies, are imposed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and implemented by state marine resources regulators. This year’s quota allowed Maine fishermen to catch 161,000 pounds per year, then to reapply to catch more if there is still stock, as there is this year but not every year.

“We hit that [quota] at the end of May, and then we could apply for an ‘episodic event fishery’ quota triggered when there are still fish in the water,” Nichols said.

This year, fishermen were granted additional quotas of 120,000 pounds per day per boat, Nichols said.

Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News

U.S. Gulf and Atlantic Menhaden Fisheries Enter MSC Sustainability Assessment

June 15, 2017 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has announced that the U.S. Atlantic menhaden and U.S. Gulf of Mexico menhaden fisheries have entered the evaluation process in order to acquire the respected blue ecolabel for sustainable fishing. The assessments are being conducted by third-party independent auditors SAI Global at the request of Omega Protein.

Menhaden are caught commercially via the modern purse seine reduction method.  They are used in fishmeal and fish oil for human and animal nutrition, due to their high natural concentration of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Menhaden are also valuable as bait for fishers targeting other commercially valuable species, such as lobster.

Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) appear in estuaries and coastal waters from northern Florida to Nova Scotia. 

Gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) have a similar biology to Atlantic menhaden. They have a Gulf-wide range, from the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, across the western and northern Gulf to eastern Florida. Adults are found in nearshore waters and lower bays, while juveniles are found in fresh and brackish estuaries and rivers.

The second largest US fishery

Between the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, the U.S. menhaden fishery is the second largest in the country by weight, trailing only Alaska pollock.

Commercial landings of Atlantic menhaden peaked in the 1950s, while commercial landings of Gulf menhaden peaked in the early 1980s.

“The MSC blue ecolabel is the gold standard for sustainable fishing worldwide. We are extremely proud of the work we’ve done to conduct our fishing operations sustainably, and we’re excited to share this work with the auditors as they undertake this assessment to the MSC Standard,” said Ben Landry, the Director of Public Affairs for Omega Protein. “We are confident that the menhaden fishery will meet the MSC Standard, recognizing its advances in responsible harvesting methods as we continue to pursue the most sustainable fishing practices available.”

Eric Critchlow, MSC U.S. program director, said, “We welcome the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic menhaden purse seine fisheries’ decision to enter MSC assessment. This is an important milestone for the MSC and for fishing in the United States.”

MSC’s Standard for Sustainable Fishing

The MSC Fisheries Standard is designed to assess the sustainability of fishery practices and management methods. The standards used to evaluate fisheries have been developed in deliberation with scientists, industry, and conservation groups, and reflect the most up-to-date fisheries science and management practices.

The MSC Standard is based on three core principles that every fishery must meet in order to be MSC certified:

  1. Sustainable fish stocks: Fishing activity must be at a level which ensures it can continue indefinitely.
  2. Minimizing environmental impact: Fishing operations must be managed to maintain the structure, productivity, function, and diversity of the ecosystem.
  3. Effective Management: The fishery must comply with relevant laws and have a management system that is responsive to changing circumstances.

The assessment is being carried out by the certification body SAI Global Assurance Services and has an expected completion date of December 2017. The MSC assessment process is open for public input. Those interested in the menhaden fishery can participate by contacting Jean Ragg at Jean.Ragg@saiglobal.com.

About Omega Protein

Omega Protein Corporation (NYSE: OME) a century old nutritional product company that develops, produces and delivers healthy products throughout the world to improve the nutritional integrity of foods, dietary supplements and animal feeds. Omega Protein’s mission is to help people lead healthier lives with better nutrition through sustainably sourced ingredients such as highly-refined specialty oils, specialty proteins products and nutraceuticals. 

The Company operates seven manufacturing facilities located in the United States, Canada and Europe. The Company also uses over 30 vessels to harvest menhaden, a fish abundantly found off of the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Its website is www.omegaprotein.com.

About the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) 

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international non-profit organization. Its vision is for the world’s oceans to be teeming with life, and seafood supplies safeguarded for this and future generations. The MSC certification program recognizes and rewards sustainable fishing practices and is helping create a more sustainable seafood market.

The blue MSC label on a seafood product means that:

  • It comes from a wild-catch fishery which has been independently certified to the MSC’s science-based standard for environmentally sustainable fishing.
  • It’s fully traceable to a sustainable source.

More than 300 fisheries in over 35 countries are certified to the MSC’s Standard. These fisheries have a combined annual seafood production of almost 10 million metric tons, representing close to 12% of annual global marine harvest. More than 25,000 seafood products worldwide carry the blue MSC label. msc.org

U.S. Gulf and Atlantic Menhaden Fisheries Enter MSC Sustainability Assessment

HOUSTON — June 15, 2017 — The following was released today by Omega Protein:

Last week, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) announced that the U.S. Atlantic menhaden and U.S. Gulf of Mexico menhaden fisheries have entered the evaluation process in order to acquire the respected blue ecolabel for sustainable fishing. The assessments are being conducted by third-party independent auditors SAI Global at the request of Omega Protein.

Atlantic Menhaden

Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) are small, oily fish that are caught commercially in a fish meal and fish oil fishery and a bait fishery. They appear in estuaries and coastal waters from northern Florida to Nova Scotia. While considered unfit for direct human consumption, menhaden caught via the modern purse seine method are used in fish meal and fish oil for human and animal nutrition, due to their high natural concentration of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Menhaden are also valuable as bait for fishermen targeting other commercially valuable species, such as lobster.

Gulf Menhaden

Gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) have a similar biology to Atlantic menhaden and are also caught in both a fish meal and fish oil fishery and a bait fishery. They have a Gulf-wide range, from the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, across the western and northern Gulf to eastern Florida. Adults are found in nearshore waters and lower bays, while juveniles are found in fresh and brackish estuaries and rivers.

The Second Largest U.S. Fishery

Between the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, the U.S. menhaden fishery is the second largest in the country by weight, trailing only Alaska pollock. The purse seine fishery is notable for being extremely clean; according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Chesapeake Bay Office, it is “one of the most selective, and effective fisheries,” as evidenced by an insignificant bycatch.

Commercial landings of Atlantic menhaden peaked in the 1950s, while commercial landings of Gulf menhaden peaked in the early 1980s. Harvest levels of menhaden have significantly decreased, essentially tracking fishing effort, since those high points, and the most recent stock assessments of Gulf menhaden and Atlantic menhaden confirm that neither species is undergoing overfishing or being overfished.

Statements from Omega Protein and MSC

“The MSC blue ecolabel is the gold standard for sustainable fishing worldwide. We are extremely proud of the work we’ve done to conduct our fishing operations sustainably, and we’re excited to share this work with the auditors as they undertake this assessment to the MSC Standard,” said Ben Landry, the Director of Public Affairs for Omega Protein. “We are confident that the menhaden fishery will meet the MSC Standard, recognizing its advances in responsible harvesting methods as we continue to pursue the most sustainable fishing practices available.”

“We welcome the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic menhaden purse seine fisheries’ decision to enter MSC assessment,” said Eric Critchlow, MSC U.S. program director. “This is an important milestone for the MSC and for fishing in the United States.”

MSC’s Standard for Sustainable Fishing

The MSC Fisheries Standard is designed to assess the sustainability of fishery practices and management methods. The standards used to evaluate fisheries have been developed in deliberation with scientists, industry, and conservation groups, and reflect the most up-to-date fisheries science and management practices.

The MSC Standard is based on three core principles that every fishery must meet in order to be MSC certified:

  1. Sustainable fish stocks: Fishing activity must be at a level which ensures it can continue indefinitely.
  2. Minimizing environmental impact: Fishing operations must be managed to maintain the structure, productivity, function, and diversity of the ecosystem.
  3. Effective Management: The fishery must comply with relevant laws and have a management system that is responsive to changing circumstances.

The assessment is being carried out by the certification body SAI Global Assurance Services and has an expected completion date of December 2017. The MSC assessment process is open for public input. Those interested in the menhaden fishery can participate by contacting Jean Ragg at Jean.Ragg@saiglobal.com.

BEN LANDRY: Assertions about menhaden population were a bit fishy

May 1, 2017 — In his recent Bay Journal op-ed, Don’t let menhaden become a case of could have, should have, would have, March 2017, Bill Bartlett claims that menhaden are both scarce and unregulated in the Chesapeake Bay.

Neither assertion is true according to the latest and best science on menhaden. This data instead indicate that this species is being managed sustainably and responsibly.

The late U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously stated that everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts. Because a column appears in the op-ed section does not excuse it from journalistic obligations of fact-checking and accuracy. Let’s look at the facts along with supporting citations.

Bartlett believes “the [Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission] lets people have their say about menhaden and then does nothing or very little” to properly manage the species. This could not be further from the case – the ASMFC bases its very precautionary management decisions on the most up-to-date scientific standards. The evidence points to that management being quite conservative: According to the most recent stock assessment report on Atlantic menhaden, menhaden are not overfished, nor are they experiencing overfishing. The commission deemed the species to be so healthy that the quota was actually increased 10 percent. Analysis from ASMFC experts indicated that the quota could have been increased by as much as 40 percent without the risk of overfishing the stock.

Read the full opinion piece at the Bay Journal

VIRGINIA: Blessing of the Fleet slated May 7

April 26, 2017 — The community is invited to participate in the 47th annual Blessing of the Fleet at 4 p.m. May 7 at the Old Morris-Fisher Factory Tall Stack site, Omega Protein, 610 Menhaden Road, Reedville, rain or shine.

This is a time-honored tradition meant to recognize the Northern Neck’s sea-going heritage, reported committee member Janet Lewis. Sponsored by St. Mary’s Church-Fleeton, Omega Protein Inc. and the Reedville Fisherman’s Museum, the blessing marks the opening of the fishing season on the Chesapeake Bay.

The Rev. Sandi Mizirl, rector of St. Mary’s Church invites all boaters to participate in the parade and well-wishers to gather on shore at the old tall stack property at Omega Protein off Fleeton Road. Programs will be distributed on the water by the youth skiff patrol of Jessica and Sarah Haynie.

Commercial and pleasure boats will assemble at the mouth of Cockrell’s Creek at 3:30 p.m. to join the parade led by Capt. Linwood Bowis on the Chesapeake Breeze, followed by the Reedville Fisherman’s Museum buy boat Elva C. and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission patrol boat.

Other boats will follow. The menhaden F/V John S. Dempster Jr. will be docked across the creek.

The event has evolved to include the large menhaden fleet, crab potters, fish trappers and pleasure craft from all over the area, said Lewis.

Read the full story at the Rappahannock Record