May 11, 2016 — The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) is soliciting public input on a draft amendment to address management and conservation of Unmanaged Forage Species in the Mid-Atlantic.
The goal of the amendment is to prohibit the development of new, and expansion of existing directed commercial fisheries on unmanaged forage species in Mid-Atlantic Federal waters until Council has had an adequate opportunity to assess the related scientific information and consider potential impacts to existing fisheries, fishing communities, and the marine ecosystem.
According to the executive summary of the Unmanaged Forage Omnibus Amendment released by the Council, forage species are defined as small, low to mid trophic (position occupied in a food chain) level species which are subject to extensive predation throughout their lifespan and which serve as important conduits of energy from low to high trophic levels. Forage species play an important role in sustaining the productivity and structure of marine ecosystems by linking low trophic level species such as phytoplankton and zooplankton to higher trophic level species, including predatory species sought after by many commercial and recreational fisheries.