Posted on 11/03/2004 9:12:04 AM PST by cogitator
""We're restoring fished-down predator species, so the demand for prey is going up," said Ken Hinman, president of the National Coalition for Marine Conservation. "We're looking at a breakdown in the Chesapeake Bay food web. Rockfish, bluefish, sea trout, ospreys and loons all depend on menhaden, which are disappearing when we need them the most." . . .
"Since menhaden are the prime forage for rockfish and other species, their abundance is vital to a healthy estuary. Goldsborough called it "perhaps the most important fish on our coast." Yet menhaden is the only species on which ASMFC [Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission], the federal oversight agency for coastal fish, imposes no catch or size limits. It's also the only species Virginia regulates through its legislature, rather than the professional Marine Resources Commission.
The Most Important Fish in the Sea
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Ok, you have to note that this type of fish isn't what you would find on your plate. I do not think you could stomache this greasy/oily fish. We use it as a bait fish
But you've eaten a LOT of it. It's processed and used in hundreds of products.
Company called Omega Protein in Virginia has a huge fleet of boats netting Menhaden left and right. Massive donors in the VA Statehouse, keeps Menhaden managed separately from other fish species in VA and not based on science, but keeping Omega Protein in business.
OUTDOORS: Menhaden, striped bass should give anglers cause for concern
Menhaden and brook trout swim in far different ecological circles, but their value to Virginia's waters - and dangers that threaten their welfare - put both species in the spotlight recently.
A coalition of environmental and conservation organizations called Menhaden Matter raised the level of debate about the species by calling for immediate action on several fronts, including putting limits on commercial fishing of menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay and delaying the start of the recreational fishing season.
Scant days after the group held its news conference in Annapolis, another assemblage of concerned people, ranging from academics to activists, met at the University of Virginia to discuss the health of mountain streams and brook trout.
Why should you, Mr. Average Angler, be concerned?
Because these are not just any old fish. Menhaden have been called "the most important fish in the sea." They filter out excess nutrients, i.e. pollution, and they provide food for other fish, notably striped bass. Commercially, their value ranges from fish meal to heart-healthy fish oil.
On the freshwater side, brook trout are native to Virginia waters, the only trout to claim that distinction. These hardy fish also serve as an "indicator species" for scientists. Their degree of health provides a measure of how other species, streams and soils are faring, and their well-being galvanized an array of groups to launch the Eastern Brook Trout Initiative this summer.
The concerns on both fronts should give us pause. Actually, they should get us off the pause button and into play.
That's the goal of Menhaden Matter, to spur action. Its members - the Coastal Conservation Association, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Environmental Defense and the National Coalition for Marine Conservation - cite studies showing menhaden abundance is near historic lows, that young menhaden in particular have dropped in number, that predators dependent on menhaden are showing signs of malnutrition, disease and other stress and that the industrial harvest of menhaden is too concentrated in the Chesapeake Bay.
Action rests in the hands of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the 15-state body charged with regulating coastal species. Scientists at a workshop last month wrestled with recommendations for the commission, which will meet next week in New Hampshire.
Currently, no limits restrict the number or size of menhaden that can be harvested. The commission's own scientists say that on a coastwide basis menhaden are not being overfished. Data do not exist, they say, to determine if there is "localized depletion" - overfishing in the bay.
Anglers see it differently, said Sherman Baynard of the Maryland CCA chapter. "Recreational anglers no longer see the abundant schools of [menhaden] that once filled our creeks and coves during our summers," he said at the Oct. 26 news conference.
"We may not be able to define localized depletion, but we know it when we see it."
Depletion rears its ugly head on the other side of the state as well. Saturday's symposium at U.Va. celebrated 25 years of the Shenandoah Watershed Study, a joint undertaking of university scientists and Shenandoah National Park.
The effort yields some disturbing findings. In the mid-1800s, about 80 percent of Virginia's mountain streams could support brook trout. That has dropped to about 50 percent, mainly because of acid rain generated primarily by power plants.
Even though air quality is improving, the trend remains downward, hitting 42 percent by mid-century. The soil here, unlike in some regions of the country, has lost the capability to buffer or neutralize the acidity.
"It's going to be a long time before we start to see recovery," said Jim Galloway, professor of environmental sciences at U.Va. and co-director of the study.
Acid rain is only one of the culprits. Burgeoning development, logging and the vagaries of nature belong on the list.
And while power utilities are visible targets, they also can be conspicuous partners. Dominion Resources has combined with Trout Unlimited on numerous projects, from helping with a liming project on the St. Mary's River to producing a documentary video on the threat to brook trout and mountain streams.
There are no easy answers or glib solutions. Sound decisions rely on solid information. Sometimes, however, the time required for conclusive proof is its own enemy.
They pulled the same crapola in the Delaware Bay some years back.
When Delaware put heavy restrictions on commercial fishing of menhaden they became overpopulated and caused far more damage than the non-existant overfishing.
The main reason for the depleted menhaden population was strict regulations on rockfish and weakfish, those species became so overabundant they depleted the menhaden stocks, not the commercial fisherman. Factual information from scientists and the industry did nothing to disuade the legislature, which instead of easing restrictions on rockfish and weakfish catch - further restricted commercial fishing of menhaden.
One of the prevailing arguments was "the menhaden boats are ugly and I shouldn't have to see them out my bayfront window." I kid you not.
Delaware, through the invasion of northeast liberals, is doing everything in it's power to eliminate the commercial fishing industry in the state.
Overpopulation and underpopulation can both be problems. The Chesapeake needs menhaden (and could probably use a bit of an overpopulation problem) because they are filter-feeders, and the Bay's other historical filter feeding species - oysters - have been virtually wiped out by disease.
I think that menhaden numbers in the Chesapeake have to rebound somewhat before overpopulation would become a problem. If it appears to be one, then just increase the size of the catch limit.
Please don't get me wrong - I am not against proper regulation, just over regulation.
Ease the restrictions on the menhaden predators and the menhaden will rebound.
As in all industry there are exceptions to the rule, but in general the US commercial fishing industry is just as interested in conservation (and sometimes moreso) as the conservationists. This is their livelihood after all.
I admit to a certain bias, but I am not unrealistic.
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