When 99 percent of 157,999 isn't enough

[greenlander]

If you fish the salt, please take the time to catch up on what happened at the ASMFC (Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission) meeting last week, because it affects all the quarry we chase -- from stripers to albies to bluefish to tuna and so on.

https://www.hatchmag.com/articles/when-99-percent-157599-not-enough/7714498

 

[jifigz]

Interesting read. Thanks. That is an issue I knew nothing about.

 

[Mike]

PA (PFBC) was in the 5-13 voting minority for Option E and stayed in that minority on a number of votes. PA's comments, favoring conservation, received a standing ovation at the meeting.

The PFBC is involved in the management of many more species than most anglers probably appreciate. It serves on the ASMFC Menhaden Board because Menhaden often and perhaps always reside in the Delaware Estuary in Pennsylvania during the spring and summer. When river flows are low in May, the salt line moves upstream through Delaware (state) and menhaden appear in Pa in good numbers as early as the second week in May. We then see them in the Pa portion of the Delaware Estuary from the Phila Airport area down the state line while conducting the annual striped bass spawning stock electrofishing survey . They later (by mid-summer) move upstream to central Phila and perhaps beyond.

Pa applied for and was granted membership on the Menhaden Board about two yrs ago.

 

[afishinado]

Mike wrote:
PA (PFBC) was in the 5-13 voting minority for Option E and stayed in that minority on a number of votes. PA's comments, favoring conservation, received a standing ovation at the meeting.

The PFBC is involved in the management of many more species than most anglers probably appreciate. It serves on the ASMFC Menhaden Board because Menhaden often and perhaps always reside in the Delaware Estuary in Pennsylvania during the spring and summer. When river flows are low in May, the salt line moves upstream through Delaware (state) and menhaden appear in Pa in good numbers as early as the second week in May. We then see them in the Pa portion of the Delaware Estuary from the Phila Airport area down the state line while conducting the annual striped bass spawning stock electrofishing survey . They later (by mid-summer) move upstream to central Phila and perhaps beyond.

Pa applied for and was granted membership on the Menhaden Board about two yrs ago.

Thanks for letting us know. The PFBC did the right thing.

 

[greenlander]

I'd swear there were menhaden all the way up by the Coast Guard station (Washington Avenue) on the Delaware. Their signature odor is hard to mistake, even for someone who doesn't spend as much time at the beach as they'd like to.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

When it comes to money or resources guess who wins? The commercial fishermen are a small minority of the fishing public, but have the power and the ears of the law makers. Hold a hearing and the commercial guys will show up. The recreational anglers stay home and the batch about what happened. GG

 

[greenlander]

gulfgreyhound wrote:
When it comes to money or resources guess who wins? The commercial fishermen are a small minority of the fishing public, but have the power and the ears of the law makers. Hold a hearing and the commercial guys will show up. The recreational anglers stay home and the batch about what happened. GG

But the majority of commercial fishermen are in favor of reduced menhaden harvest. 80% of the menhaden catch along the entire coast is hauled by one company that grinds the fish up and turns them into dog food and cosmetics. Any commercial operation that isn't a reduction operation, that fishes for anything higher up in the food chair (whether that's bluefish or striped bass or tuna, etc) benefits when more menhaden are in the water.

 

[BrookieChaser]

This is another example showing where public comment is just a formality and not a factor in the decision.

 

[Fredrick]

Anyone know what states voted against it ?

 

[Zak]

Humans suck! That about sums it up.

 

[ryc72]

theres a really good book on this very topic. surprisingly interesting read.

https://islandpress.org/book/the-most-important-fish-in-the-sea

not surprising that the vote went the way it did. politics is all business now and im sure the votes were bought by the few that stood to gain the most from it, regardless of public opinion. sadly, it seems like all of politics is that way now...many lose to the benefit of the privileged few. the really sad thing is that when things go bad everyone pays for it and the companies and individuals that benefited from the plundering, usually come away clean and free. horrible.

 

[Chaz]

It's humans love of eating farmed fishes that is a driving force to increase the harvest of menhaden.
Menhaden are also one of the fish that is highest in omegas 3 and 6.