August 14, 2012 — Last Wednesday, 14 congressmen, including Rob Wittman, found out how much weight their views carry with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission – none.
The congressmen had written the commission asking that its menhaden management board hold off on new regulations of the commercial menhaden fishery until it had a scientific basis upon which to act. The board ignored the congressmen and not only went ahead and adopted a proposed amendment to the menhaden management plan but made it possible that its cuts to the fishery could be more draconian than had been anticipated.
In the draft to be sent out for public comment, the possible levels of harvest reduction range from zero up to 50 percent. Before the meeting, the highest reduction level mention had been 40 percent and observers thought a 20 percent reduction was most likely.
The congressmen and others had noted that the menhaden management board’s technical committee had found flaws in the model used to estimate the number of menhaden. The flaws were so worrisome that a 2011 stock assessment could not be made. Earlier stock assessments were based on the same model.
Mike Waine of the ASMFC said Thursday that the problems with the model became “more alarming” with the aborted 2011 assessment so the board used the 2010 assessment even though the model had the same flaws. He explained that the earlier assessment had been “peer reviewed” but did not explain how that improved the assessment’s accuracy. He maintained that there was other data that indicated overfishing was happening.
Omega Protein spokesman Ben Landry said Monday that he could not understand the board’s thinking. He pointed out that in recent years more menhaden have been caught with less effort by fishermen. In other contexts that is seen as indicating a healthy stock, Landry said.
An additional change to the proposed amendment convinced Landry that the ASMFC is really determined to shut down Omega’s Reedville-based menhaden reduction fishery. For years the allowable harvest has been apportioned with 80 percent going to Omega and 20 percent to the bait fishery, those who catch the menhaden for sale as bait to lobstermen and other fishermen. Last Wednesday, the board inserted provisions in the draft amendment that ask whether that apportionment should remain 80/20 or be changed to 70/30, 60/40 or 50/50.
“That’s egregious,” Landry said, adding that it only effects Virginia and indicates that “the goal is to put Omega out of business.”
The draft will be sent out for comment in early September and action will be taken on it before the end of the year, Waine said.
Read the full story in the Northumberland Echo