Toms River, NJ, April 5, 2012 — Fishermen agreed this looks like another promising year in New Jersey waters for menhaden, the oily, bony little fish that are a backbone of both the ocean ecosystem and the industry's bait supply.
But there's disagreement on the need to have coastwide catch limits for the first time on the fish also know as mossbunker, or just plain bunker.
Groups like Menhaden Defenders want strong controls on the commercial fishery, the largest in terms of tons landed on the East Coast.
In Sandy Hook Bay, menhaden used to run strong from spring to fall, but now the fish trail off by late summer and the bay's striped bass fishery has declined as well, said James Crouse of the Atlantic Highlands Environmental Commission.
Belford commercial trawler captain Richard Isaksen expressed the opposite impression. "There's more menhaden than there's ever been…I don't think you need regulations on bunkers," he said.
Read the full article at the Asbury Park Press.