COURT HOUSE – The Cape May County Library invites the public to attend “Menhaden Defenders: Restoring the Atlantic's Most Important Fish” presented by Captain Paul Eidman. The program will be held on Wed., Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. at the Main Branch Library located at 30 Mechanic Street, Cape May Court House.
The over-exploitation of the Atlantic's prized menhaden fishery has implications for anglers and coastal lovers from Maine to Florida and for the marine ecosystem. Menhaden Defenders seeks to restore Atlantic menhaden populations so that they can fulfill their vital ecological role. The group is comprised of anglers and conservationists along the East Coast.
Learn more about the plight of this critical species from Captain Paul Eidman. Captain Eidman grew up fishing with his father and grandfather out on Long Island and brought his love of fishing to New Jersey in the ‘70s. Eidman is an experienced saltwater fly fishing guide for striped bass, bluefish, weakfish, false albacore, Bonito and more. The current state of fishing in the Atlantic has raised his concern and turned him into an ocean advocate who hopes to protect the fish for future generations.
For more information, call 463-6350 or visit www.cmclibrary.org.
Read the full article at the Cape May County Herald.
Analysis: There is significant evidence disputing two of the claims made here: that menhaden are overfished and that overfishing affects menhaden's ecological role. The most recent measurements by the ASMFC state that the menhaden population in the Chesapeake Bay is currently not overfished, with the menhaden population at or above its mortality and fecundity targets. There are also questions as to how important menhaden are in fulfilling ecological roles as filter-feeders and food for larger predators. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS ) at William and Mary recently concluded that menhaden actually do very little to affect water quality. Similarly, in a different study , VIMS concluded that menhaden can make up to as little as 9.6% of striped bass diet.