About this time for the past few years it seems we devote this column to the subject of menhaden; or rather the lack of menhaden. Usually we just lament the paucity of the fish that is so vital to the health of the striper, bluefish and so many other species of fish, and go on to denounce the lack of action by the Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission in doing anything about it.
But this year's menhaden column is different.
Oh no, sorry to say, the menhaden (a.k.a. bunker) are still as scarce as snake legs in Long Island Sound. In fact, if anything, there are fewer adult bunkers in Long Island Sound this season than last. Only an influx of small bait like sand eels and silversides has kept the inshore fishing scene alive with small bluefish and stripers hanging around for the feast.
What is different about this bunker column is that as of early this month, after a decade of dithering, ASMFC actually took a big step on the path to cutting the commercial menhaden harvest. It happened at the council's annual meeting where an almost unanimous vote approved a period of public comment on menhaden protection. Called draft amendment V (not for victory), the proposal offers five management options from doing nothing (that would fit nicely with ASFMC's past polices) to cutting the commercial take by as much as 45 percent.
That commercial take is accomplished in great part by a Houston, Texas-based company called Omega Protein that has processing facilities in Reedville, Va. (This accounts for the Virginia delegation being the only one to vote against the menhaden proposal.)
Read the full article at the Connecticut Post.
Analysis: The article is incorrect in implying that menhaden are overfished. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which is responsible for ensuring that menhaden are fished at a sustainable rate, recently concluded in their stock assessment that the population was not overfished. Overfishing has only occured once in the last 10 years.
The article is also wrong in blaming poor recreational fishing on the lack of menhaden. In addition to not being overfished, menhaden are not a large part of the diet of many fish prized by anglers. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science, in an ongoing study, found that menhaden only account for 9.6% of striped bass diet and 11% of bluefish diet.