Followup: Having our say on ‘the most important fish in the ocean’

I know: It’s hard to give your attention to everything, especially given the daily chaos from the Trump regime. But attention must be paid: The industrial harvest of menhaden — the most important source of food for other fish, marine mammals and fish-hunting osprey and eagles — needs to be better managed, to say the least. Some conservationists believe too many menhaden are being taken from the Chesapeake and coastal waters. As a follow-up to what I’ve reported on this matter on my Substack page and on this blog, I suggest you consider the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s call for public comment on a proposal to further curtail the harvest.

Here’s the message from the foundation:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) this week officially opened the comment period on proposed changes to the Chesapeake Bay’s industrial menhaden fishery—a move that now gives the public the opportunity to weigh in on how best to protect the critical forage fish.

The ASMFC on August 5 advanced a measure, known as Draft Addendum II, that could cut the industrial fishery harvest cap in the Bay by up to 50 percent and spread the harvest out throughout the year, among other possible changes.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) supports the strongest option on the table: cutting the Chesapeake Bay Reduction Fishery Cap in half and creating three quota periods to better spread the harvest out throughout the season. This would cut down on sustained pressure from concentrated high-volume fishing.

Menhaden are a key fish in marine food chains, feeding osprey, striped bass, and other wildlife. The menhaden reduction fishery is an industrial operation concentrated in the Chesapeake Bay, where a fleet of vessels catches more than 100 million pounds of the fish each year.

The reforms the ASMFC is considering respond to ongoing concerns tied to the menhaden population in the Bay, including starving osprey chicks and plummeting catches for watermen who use menhaden for bait.

As these warning signs escalate, 92 percent of Virginia voters support leaving more menhaden in the Bay, according to recent polling.

In addition to submitting comments to the ASMFC online, there will be several opportunities to offer in-person public comments on the measure. Those include an event hosted by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Potomac River Fisheries Commission at a to-be-determined location on September 15 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and an event hosted by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) at Fort Monroe in Virginia on September 28 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The public comment period for Draft Addendum II ends at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, October 9. The commission will use the public comments to inform their decisions ahead of possible action at their annual meeting, slated to take place November 9-12.

Upcoming CBF Menhaden Events

For those interested in learning more about menhaden and Draft Addendum II, CBF will be hosting a “Menhaden Matter” free event at the Philip Merrill Environmental Center in Annapolis, Maryland on Thursday, September 10. CBF staff and partners will share more about menhaden advocacy efforts and how the public can help take action moving forward.

CBF is also slated to host an in-person menhaden learning session on Draft Addendum II at the Brock Environmental Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia on Wednesday, September 23 and a virtual menhaden learning session on Tuesday, October 6. Both of these events are free as well.

In addition to providing comment in-person at public hearings, members of the public can click here to take action.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Forage Campaign Manager Will Poston issued the following statement:

“The Chesapeake Bay needs more menhaden in the water. It’s time to cut the Bay’s industrial menhaden harvest in half, spread out fishing pressure better throughout the season, and protect menhaden for future generations. The public now has the chance to speak up for one of the Bay’s most important fish.

“From watermen to researchers to nature enthusiasts, people are crying out for action on menhaden in the Bay. The overwhelming public support to leave more menhaden in the Bay must be channeled into productive advocacy for menhaden conservation.

“The ASMFC has thankfully moved forward on critical menhaden reforms. Now, the public must make their voices heard.”