Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission/ C.B. Foundation - Free Ride T's & Ride

[Fishinfool]

For those kayak fishers who have flexible work schedules and want to save the bunker:

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is sponsoring a free bus ride, free breakfast, free lunch, and is giving away free long sleeve tee shirts to join them in Baltimore in support of a crucial vote of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to limit the menhaden catch along the eastern seaboard.

Here are the details from this FB link: https://www.facebook.com/events/102317906605050/

"T'is The Season of Giving so Please Give Your Support to the ‘Most Important Fish in the Sea.’

WHEN: Friday, December 14th
WHERE: Best Western Plus Hotel and Conference Center
5625 O’Donnell Street, Baltimore, MD
*See below for transportation options

PRICE: Free! Food and beverages will be served for BREAKFAST and LUNCH! And everyone gets a free SAVE-THE-MENHADEN LONG SLEEVE T-SHIRT!

WHAT: CBF has been working tirelessly to reduce the catch of menhaden to help restore "the most important fish in the sea." Menhaden play an essential role in marine ecosystems from Maine to Florida, but they are now at their lowest level on record and need your help.

On Friday, Dec. 14th, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) will vote on how much protection these critical fish will get.

Join us and help ensure ASMFC makes the right decision and adopts science-based, sustainable catch limits that will give our menhaden population a chance to recover. Demonstrate your support for the fish that form the critical link in the coastal food chain as essential prey for highly prized fish, birds, and marine mammals.

RSVP: Please e-mail Terry Cummings at tcummings@cbf.org by 5PM on Tuesday the 11th to reserve a seat on our chartered bus. We will be leaving at 7:15 a.m. from the Riva Road Park-n-Ride in Annapolis with two return shuttles, one at lunch and one at 3:00. The bus ride is free and breakfast will be served at the hotel. You may also arrange your own transportation, but please let us know if you are coming.

Thanks, and please forward to your friends!

Best Western Hotel & Conference Center
5625 O'Donnell Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21224"

[Fishinfool]

Although you won't be getting a line in the water, Friday's 12/14 trip may be the most important fishing trip you will ever make!

[CB kayak 02]

Fishenfool do you work for CBF?

I might be interested, but I don't know if I'll be able to take off... can always use a free T and a meal haha

[Fishinfool]

I don't work for CBF, but I've been following the "Battle for Bunker" of which the CBF plays a large part for awhile now. There's also a group that has specifically targeted menhaden protection called "Menhaden Defenders" based out of Jersey. The have a FB site: https://www.facebook.com/menhadendefenders?fref=ts

Omega Protein, which operates out of Reedsville, Va. near the tip of the Northern Neck will be there in force no doubt. They are fighting for their livelihood, so it will be a bruising fight. Omega has also shown very little respect for this critical fish, and has fished the natural stocks to near oblivion. The Atlantic States Marine Fishery Commission, under the N.O.A.A. umbrella, needs to get control of Omega now, before it's too late.

I have a busy day at work myself that day, but I am going to make a real effort to make the morning time frame. I 'll be coming from Silver Spring, so I can't make the bus trip. The bus alone sounds like a good opportunity to network with like- minded folks.

The birders are very involved in this effort too. Bunker are crucial to the survival of not just rockfish, but the entire food chain in the bay. It's amazing that the oilest, stinkietst, smelliest fish in the Bay is so important, but it's a biological fact.

[ronaultmtd]

Yeah, you're right- Bunker are eaten by every thing in the Bay and in the Ocean- Great live bait- especially for king mackerel and snook- I fish for snook around boat docks down in Tampa Bay sometimes in the late winter- just hook one alive on a 2/0 circle hook and toss it under a dock and hang on for dear life when a twenty pound plus snook smokes you on light spinning tackle- wish I could go but I will be flying back from a business trip out of New Orleans Friday the 14th-

[Memory Maker]

I'll be there ..... it's that important

[J.A. Veil]

I signed up this morning to ride the CCA bus.

[CB kayak 02]

I signed up this morning to ride the CCA bus.

I might join you John... I know better after this weekend.


Actually just emailed tony from CCA so I'll be there, I'm working on getting my roommates to come. the best part is I get to take a day off from work and will get paid to go be an environmentalist hippie.

[Fishinfool]

Sounds great! I'll look for you guys in the breakfast line at the Hotel, LOL.

BTW, don't forget to rsvp Terry Cummings. He needs a head count for the bus, tee shirts, breakfast, lunch.
Steve

[chex]

Some good news for the bunker fish!

"Moments ago, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted to adopt a science-based plan to better protect menhaden, a fish vital to the marine ecosystem and to important commercial fisheries. Never before have we had a coastwide cap on the harvesting of menhaden. With this decision, the Commission voted to reduce the catch of menhaden by 20 percent."

http://www.cbf.org/page.aspx?pid=478...5-61cec116b111

[J.A. Veil]

At least three MKF members attended the hearing today. CB kayak 02 (Matt), Memory Maker (Rick), and I were there. Larry Freed, former president of the SRRKC, sat with me on the bus going to and from the meeting. Earlier this afternoon, Larry wrote an excellent concise review of the discussions that took place this morning on Tidalfish. Here is what he wrote:

"Just got back from the morning session of the ASMFC menhaden management meeting. Here are my take-aways:

1) They voted to change the reference points by which they manage menhaden from "spawning stock biomass" (SSB) to "maximum spawning potential" (MSP). By making that change, the menhaden stock goes from "okay" to "overfishing is occurring". This is key, as this compelled the commission to take action to protect the stock. Without that change, there would be no fundamental basis for the need to take action now.

2) They voted to begin restricting the menhaden harvest through use of a total allowable catch (TAC) (usually in metric tons). This brings menhaden into the modern age of fishery management.

3) Then the big vote: What would the TAC actually be? After much debate, and numerous motions, counter-motions, and roll-call votes, they voted to reduce the total allowable catch by 20%. Using 2011 data, this would mean that the annual harvest would drop from 213.5 thousand metric tons down to 170.8 thousand metric tons. That's a lot of menhaden.

There are still debates and votes over allocations between the reduction industry (Reedville) and the bait industry, bycatch allowances, and quota rollovers, paybacks and monitoring.

A few things I found interesting:

1) Public comments using an organization's form letter seemed to carry very little weight with anyone on the commission. While there were 128,000 public comments received, 127,000 of them were form letters created by various organizations. Only 354 were personalized letters from individuals. Clearly, the 354 personal letters carried MUCH more weight than the 127,000 form letters.

2) There were 4 presentations prior to the debates and votes: 1) Review of the public comments received; 2) Law Enforcement report (their concerns re: enforcing the proposed rules); 3) Technical Committee report (where the scientists weigh in); 4) Advisory Committee report.

Of these 4, only the Technical Committee seemed to matter much. Throughout the debates the commissioners continually referred to the information and recommendations they provided. Not once did any commissioner mention the public's input or the Advisory Committee's input. Clearly, while they may be given cursory review, they do not weigh heavily in the decision-making process. The Technical Committee's peer-reviewed data and reports are the key to these deliberations and decisions.

3) The 2012 menhaden stock assessment - the key to making these critical decisions - was a failure. The Technical Committee did not approve it and it did not pass their peer review. That means that the only "real" data they had to go on was the 2008 stock assessment - a 4 year old report. I'm not sure how this could happen, and why nobody seemed to make a big deal about it, but it IS a big deal. Now, they must wait until the 2014 stock assessment to make decisions on schedules for rebuilding the stock, etc. Hopefully, this is something our conservation organizations will stay on top of. The basis of all future menhaden management will rely on these stock assessments being done right so they are deemed "robust for management" and get through the Technical Committee's peer review process. Without that, there will be no basis for real change.

4) The Chesapeake Bay Reduction Harvest Cap has had little impact. I recall during that debate a few years ago that people said that the cap was set too high and that Reedville could never exceed it no matter what they did. That turned out to be the case. In fact, because they never came close to harvesting the 109,000 metric tons the cap permits them to take from the bay, they were able to roll-over some of that quota to the next year, so now the cap is 122,000 tons. In other words, the harvest cap didn't change anything.

5) Public involvement at the meeting: The meeting room was packed - easily a few hundred people. About 70% conservation and 30% Reedville. People came from all over the east coast (I met people from Mass., Rhode Island, and NJ, plus a bunch of Marylanders). While our presence didn't change anyone's vote, it did make the commission accountable by having them debate and vote in public vs. behind closed doors. It was great to see such a large - and for the most part respectful - group turn out. Who knew that the humble menhaden could summon such a following.

Next, I'm sure the Omega lawyers and the Virginia politicians will weigh in and push back heavily. It will be interesting to see how this whole thing unfolds from here. I do believe, however, that the ASMFC has done their part to begin the long process of protecting menhaden. And for that I'm grateful. Onward..."


Other issues were being voted upon this afternoon, but the 20% reduction was the biggest issue.

[Fishinfool]

Terrific! Thanks for taking the time to go up there and show support for reasonableness in fishery management.

After reading the article on the CBF web site, I had to laugh at the the "fisheries biologist" employed by Omega protein. He reminded me of those phony doctors on commercials from the 1950's saying that smoking Camel cigarettes were good for your health, LOL. Some people will do anything for money I guess.

Also, Virginia has long been a thorn in the side of sound fishery management not just for menhaden, but blue crabs, striped bass, oysters, you name it. What is their problem down there?

[russ498]

I saw that Omega Protein had their quota reduced by twenty percent. What is the consensus? Is this enough to maintain the menhaden population?

[ronaultmtd]

VA allowed Smithfield foods to violate EPA hog farm runoff to the point the EPA sued the state of VA- it is a business "friendly" state.