Posts Tagged ‘menhaden’
Atlantic menhaden management takes a familiar, disturbing turn
By Ted Venker
Coastal Conservation Association
Last week the Atlantic States Marines Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Stock Assessment Committee and Technical Committee met to finalize the stock assessment update and advice they may give the Board for managing menhaden.
To reset the situation, according to the last benchmark assessment four years ago, the stock was undergoing overfishing, recruitment was at or near an all-time low, and abundance was at an all-time low. Not a good situation for a species whose primary ecological attribute is its historic, teeming abundance which has made it one of the primary forage species for gamefish like striped bass, bluefish, weakfish, bluefin, king mackerel and many others.
Menhaden has been allowed to decline to this low level using the reference points endorsed by the Technical Committee and the management advice based on those reference points by the Technical Committee. Simply put, the advice of the Stock Assessment Committee and the Technical Committee has failed the Board and the fishery.
At the last benchmark assessment, independent scientists reviewed the stock assessment and noted what the public has been saying for years: the stock is in a state of decline. Yet the management guideposts (reference points) did not signal any problems. The independent scientists suggested the Management Board adopt new reference points that took into account the historic abundance of menhaden.
So it was not surprising that the Board took the advice of the last peer review and adopted new, more conservative reference points. They adopted a 15 percent Maximum Spawning Potential (MSP) – which is a spawning stock that is 15 percent of an unfished stock – as the threshold and 30 percent MSP as the target, all perfectly reasonable, commonly used reference points. At the time it would have taken an estimated 10-15 percent reduction in harvest to meet the threshold of 15 percent MSP, and about twice that to meet the target reference point mortality rate.
The Board asked for a stock assessment update (which would add three more years of data to the last benchmark assessment to see where we are today), and that’s where the current problems start. The model started acting up when the last three years of data were added. The Stock Assessment Committee finally came to the conclusion that the results were so questionable that it was not useable for offering management advice. The two Stock Assessment Committee members who argued the hardest for not offering any management advice until the stock assessment was fixed were both employees of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).
Not to be forgotten in this new intrigue are the facts that this is a stock for which managers have a 55-plus-year time series of data, it is at a low level of abundance, there is evident age truncation, and the fishing mortality rate has been increasing in recent years.
And the Technical Committee can’t offer management advice? Really?
NMFS has been offering management advice for years on stocks without nearly the data stream we have for menhaden; indeed NMFS hasn’t hesitated to close entire fisheries on a fraction of the evidence we have for menhaden. One only has to look at species like snowy and warsaw grouper to see instances where NMFS has not hesitated to offer management advice on the skimpiest of data. Yet, in this case, with the obvious low level of abundance and 55 years worth of data, you can’t offer any advice for what to do with menhaden? That is just stunning.
It was just a couple of months ago that the single company that is responsible for the most intense harvest of menhaden hired two stock assessment scientists that quite inappropriately nearly led the discussion at the last Stock Assessment Committee meeting, participated freely in all the discussions, and even had its lawyer in the room at the last meeting. That same company has worked hand-in-glove with NMFS for 30 years. And now the primary vocal proponents insisting that the Technical Committee could not offer any management advice for menhaden were the two NMFS employees.
At the very least this does not pass the smell test. The public has a right to expect better. At some point, if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, flies like a duck and swims like a duck, it must be a duck.
Tags: ASMFC, menhaden, Omega Protein
Posted in CCA Atlantic States | No Comments »
By Richen Brame
Coastal Conservation Association
Atlantic Fisheries Director
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Technical Committee (TC) and Stock Assessment Committee (SAC) process is supposed to be a simple one that allows the members, who come from state agencies, federal agencies and academia, to do the technical work necessary to manage marine fisheries. One primary object of this process is to allow only qualified, independent scientists to populate the committees, who can be expected to produce results that are not biased towards any one sector or another. Such scientists insulated from the grind of fishery politics are the very engine on which marine fisheries management runs.
The Commissioners may be the drivers, but the TC and SAC folks provide the horsepower. This process can quickly fall apart if it appears that someone with an agenda is sitting on the committee. Earlier this week, I witnessed just such an event, perhaps the most egregious I’ve seen in attending TC and SAC meetings for 13 years.
To set the scene, the Menhaden Stock Assessment Subcommittee and Technical Committee met to determine what information will go into an assessment update, essentially the data from 2009-2011 which was collected since the last benchmark assessment. As is well known, menhaden are undergoing overfishing and the Board recently set new fishing mortality reference points that are more conservative than the old reference points. To end overfishing, the Board is currently developing Amendment 2 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic menhaden, which will reduce menhaden harvest for all harvesters.
As is also well known, this will be the first time the menhaden reduction industry – Omega Protein in Reedville, Virginia – will have to operate under a quota and will have to limit its harvest to end overfishing.
It was no surprise, then, that Omega Protein hired two pre-eminent stock assessment scientists to represent them at the TC and SAC meeting. Many groups, including Coastal Conservation Association, had representatives there to observe the proceedings. But the Omega representatives went a step further and interacted freely with the Committee. One of them spoke more than any member of the stock assessment committee. At one point, he essentially led the discussion on what sensitivity analyses were appropriate for the assessment.
This type of interaction is out of bounds, and it casts doubt on the validity of these proceedings. It threatens to make a mockery of the process and transport it back to the dark days when reduction industry representatives controlled both the Menhaden Management Board and the Technical Committee.
The two scientists hired by Omega are some of the best-known stock assessment experts in the world, and their opinions should be available to the SAC and TC, but in a controlled fashion that is fair to all. What the Omega representatives contributed at that meeting may very well have been useful or valuable, but the manner in which they presented it was entirely inappropriate, and tainted the legitimacy of the meeting. Regardless of what they said, the appearance of impropriety cannot be avoided. As paid representatives of Omega Protein, they are at that meeting for one purpose and one purpose only – to represent Omega’s interests. Would they bother to attend such a meeting if the stock was not undergoing overfishing and Omega was not faced with reductions in harvest for the first time in its history?
I think not.
The ASMFC currently has guidelines on public participation under development, but those will not be approved until October. The Committee Chair and staff person are there to facilitate discussion, not referee who gets to speak and who doesn’t. In the meantime, conservationists are left to wonder about a process that appears tainted. As has happened in the past with this highly political fishery, it appears that the ASMFC is allowing the fox to guard the henhouse. Again.
Conservationists and recreational anglers have come too far in our efforts to protect a critical forage base to let these machinations go unchallenged. The ASMFC must rein in Omega Protein and not allow it to gain control of the menhaden management process. Its failure to do so risks destroying any trust the public has in its ability to manage our marine resources.
Tags: Amendment 2, ASMFC, menhaden
Posted in CCA Atlantic States | No Comments »
Commission vote reduces menhaden harvest for first time ever
BOSTON, MA - For the first time in history, there will be reductions in the harvest of Atlantic menhaden after a vote today by the Menhaden Management Board of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). Menhaden, which serve as the primary forage base for most predatory fish, have declined to the lowest level ever recorded, sparking alarm in the recreational angling community which has long expressed concern over the impact of industrial menhaden harvest on sportfish stocks.
“This is a long-anticipated decision and it is a great relief for anglers to know that managers have finally begun the process of rebuilding this critical species,” said Charles A. Witek III, chairman of the Atlantic Fisheries Committee for Coastal Conservation Association. “The turning point was finally having science in hand that showed what many of us have been saying for a long time. We still have work to do to ensure that menhaden are properly managed to fulfill its role as a forage base, but we are finally out of the starting blocks.”
Anglers and conservationists have chafed for years under management standards that indicated the spawning stock of menhaden was perfectly healthy and the fishing mortality rate was fine or only “slightly” over the overfishing threshold. As menhaden began to disappear from parts of the coast, it became clear that something was wrong with the way menhaden were being evaluated. Ultimately, outside scientists recommended changing reference points to better reflect the status of the stock and in a landmark decision, the Board agreed. With today’s vote, the reference points change from the current 8 percent Maximum Spawning Potential (MSP), which means 8 percent of an unfished stock, to 15 percent MSP as the overfishing threshold. They then adopted a target, the point for which management measures are intended, of 30 percent MSP, which will require a 37 percent reduction in harvest when implemented.
“The most critical thing that happened today is that the debate over whether or not to manage menhaden at all, is over,” said Richen Brame, CCA Atlantic Fisheries director. “Clearly these fish do indeed need to be managed, and managed conservatively. The debate now becomes about how conservatively should they be managed, and that is a much better scenario for menhaden, for sportfish and for anglers. It took a very long time and a lot of work by many, many groups, but the ASMFC did the right thing today.”
During the public comment period leading up to this vote, the ASMFC received almost 92,000 comments, the overwhelming majority of which were in favor of reductions in menhaden harvest by the greatest amount available. With today’s decision, the focus will now turn to the next management action that will determine exactly how to implement those reductions.
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CCA is the largest marine resource conservation group of its kind in the nation. With almost 100,000 members in 17 state chapters, CCA has been active in state, national and international fisheries management issues since 1977. For more information visit the CCA Newsroom at www.JoinCCA.org.
Tags: ASMFC, forage fish, menhaden
Posted in CCA Atlantic States | No Comments »
ASMFC votes to give public its say on menhaden
ALEXANDRIA, VA – Tangible management of menhaden in the Atlantic moved another step closer to reality this week when the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) voted to send a series of management options for this critical forage species out to public hearings.
Menhaden management has long been a sore point among conservationists as intense commercial harvest of the species in the Chesapeake Bay has added to factors believed to be negatively impacting striped bass and other gamefish all along the East Coast. The primary industrial harvester of Atlantic menhaden, Omega Protein, has never had its harvest effectively restricted and stands as one of the very few commercial fishing operations in the country to successfully avoid management measures that might impact its bottom line.
There is also a completely unregulated bait fishery that targets menhaden throughout its East Coast range. Comprised of boats of all sizes, from large mid-water trawlers to small skiffs, it supplies bait to both the commercial and recreational fishery. The quantity of menhaden harvested by that industry has never been comprehensively assessed, but it is undoubtedly significant. In addition, the fishery is believed to be expanding as northeastern lobstermen seek a substitute for the more strictly regulated, Atlantic herring, which is decreasing in abundance.
The most current menhaden stock assessment showed the stock was undergoing overfishing and abundance estimates were at the lowest level ever recorded. Current science indicates that the menhaden spawning stock biomass is at about 9 percent of a stock that is not subjected to any fishing pressure. With the vote this week, the ASMFC has put into play management options that could increase the spawning stock biomass to15 percent or more.
“This is the grinding process of management,” said Richen Brame, CCA Atlantic States Fisheries Director. “The science is finally catching up with the problems anglers and conservationists have been talking about for a long time, and now the process can move forward. The fact that these options are going out for public hearing is significant, but it is a slow grind to get where we want to be with this stock. You can bet the harvesters think this is a significant development.”
Whatever regulations are ultimately adopted will be interim measures that will likely be in place for three to five years until ecological reference points, generated from a Multi-Species Virtual Population Analysis can be produced, which will require stock assessment updates on bluefish, striped bass, weakfish and menhaden stock. When that analysis is conducted, it is very possible managers will have a much better idea of the population of menhaden needed to fully serve as the critical forage base for those popular sport fish.
“Almost everyone who has spent time fishing in the Chesapeake has seen how the industrial boats, aided by spotter planes, can wipe out whole schools of menhaden, removing them completely from the food chain,” said Frank Kearney, chairman of CCA Virginia’s Government Affairs Committee. “For a long time, anglers have felt powerless to impact the menhaden management process against a very well-connected and financially powerful company. Now that these measures are going out for public hearing, it feels like we have a chance to inject some sanity into this fishery and begin to manage it for the greater good, not just for the good of one company.”
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Tags: ASMFC, Atlantic menhaden, menhaden, Omega Protein
Posted in CCA Atlantic States | No Comments »
ASMFC takes first steps to rebuild menhaden forage base
ALEXANDRIA, VA – For the first time ever, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission took steps to rein in the industrial harvest of menhaden and begin the process of managing the menhaden fishery. If adopted, the measures proposed today by the Menhaden Management Board would lead to a reduction of menhaden harvest in both the reduction and bait fisheries.
“After years of inaction, this is an excellent first step toward recovering a critical forage base,” said Richen Brame, CCA Atlantic States Fisheries director. “This action is significant, simply because the science on menhaden as a vital forage base is improving, and it is the science that is now driving this process. Some folks will feel that the proposals today do not go far enough, but it is imperative to point out that although this does not get us across the plate, it does get us in scoring position.”
The latest menhaden stock assessment showed the stock was undergoing overfishing and abundance estimates were at the lowest level ever recorded. Current science indicates that the menhaden spawning stock biomass is at about 9 percent of a stock that is not subjected to any fishing pressure. The Menhaden Management Board voted to start an addendum that would increase the spawning stock biomass to15 percent.
“That would end overfishing, cause about a 10 percent reduction in landings, and potentially increase spawning stock by more than 50 percent,” said Brame.
These are interim measures that will likely be in place for three to five years until a Multi-Species Virtual Population Analysis can be conducted, which will require stock assessment updates on bluefish, striped bass, weakfish and menhaden stock.
“When that analysis is conducted, it is very possible we will have a much better idea of the population of menhaden needed to fully serve as the critical forage base for those popular sport fish,” said Brame. “The picture is constantly evolving, and we appreciate that the Menhaden Management Board worked to develop a suite of management options to use in the interim that will begin rebuilding menhaden.”
The draft addendum will be developed over the summer to be approved for public comment at the ASMFC’s August meeting. Public hearings will be held along the entire Atlantic seaboard this fall, with final action at the ASMFC’s November Annual Meeting in Massachusetts. If adopted, management restrictions could be in place for the 2012 fishing season.
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CCA is the largest marine resource conservation group of its kind in the nation. With almost 100,000 members in 17 state chapters, CCA has been active in state, national and international fisheries management issues since 1977. For more information visit the CCA Newsroom at www.JoinCCA.org.
Tags: ASMFC, menhaden
Posted in CCA Atlantic States | No Comments »
Committee moves forward with addressing management targets for menhaden
At its meeting last week in Washington DC, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) directed its Menhaden Technical Committee to develop new options for managing menhaden more like a critical forage species than a fish to be industrially harvested. A move that many East Coast anglers would say is long past due.
“Only in Bizarro World can a stock reach the lowest point in its recorded history and the reference points used to manage that stock still indicate that all is well and it is not overfished nor is overfishing occurring,” said Richen Brame, CCA Atlantic States Fisheries director. “When the reference points you are using allow the stock to decline continuously since 1984 from an estimated 186 billion fish to 18 billion and no management action is contemplated, much less triggered, then you need a different set of reference points, and that’s what the ASMFC has directed the Technical Committee to do.”
Much of the debate over menhaden centers over its industrial harvest in Chesapeake Bay, not only the primary spawning ground on the East Coast for prized gamefish like striped bass and bluefish, but also where about half the entire coastal harvest of menhaden for reduction occurs. Historically, the ASMFC has managed menhaden for yield to satisfy its role as an industrial fish rather than for abundance. CCA has long argued that menhaden’s critical role as a forage species for apex predators meant that every single menhaden has importance as a prey item for other fish that are greatly valued by anglers.
“This is a forage species and its abundance is extremely important, not only to maintain the population but also to serve as food for everything else,” said Kevin Smith, president of CCA Virginia. “For the main prey item in the Chesapeake Bay to be at its lowest level ever is a potential catastrophe for the gamefish that depend on them. All the signs indicate that something is clearly wrong and managers should have acted before now, but we are relieved to see them finally moving in this direction.”
The status of menhaden has taken on more significance with the prevalence of Mycobacteriosis infections among striped bass in Chesapeake Bay. The first reports of Mycobacterium-infected striped bass in the Chesapeake date back to 1984 and today more than 70 percent of bass display Myco lesions. There is growing evidence that a lack of suitable forage, especially menhaden, has stressed the fish and made them particularly vulnerable to the fatal disease.
“The stock has been declining for over 25 years and we still allow thousands of metric tons to be harvested every year,” said Scott McGuire, chairman of the CCA Maryland Government Relations Committee . “Managers have to realize we can’t continue to manage menhaden as we have in the past, and expect different results. It is long overdue, but we applaud the ASMFC for beginning this process.”
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Tags: ASMFC, menhaden
Posted in CCA Atlantic States | No Comments »
