Menhaden presentation rev

Reel Therapy Fly Fishing Light tackle Charters Capt. Paul Eidman [email_address] 732 922 4077

ATLANTIC MENHADEN “ The Most Important Fish in the Sea”

OVERFISHING
Definition: Overfishing is, simply put, when so many fish are caught that the population can't reproduce enough to replace them. Overfishing can lead to depletion of or extinction of fish populations. The Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996 defines overfishing as "as a rate or level of fishing mortality that jeopardizes a fishery's capacity to produce maximum sustainable yield (MSY) on a continuing basis."

This past spring the ASMFC stated that overfishing is occurring in the Commercial Menhaden fishery. The study team determined that overfishing has been occurring 32 out of the last 52 years of this fishery! This is the first time in the History of the Menhaden fishery that there will be an attempt to end overfishing and put a hard cap on the amount of fish being taken out of our waters. The ASMFC is voting in November on this and as recreational anglers, we need to let them know how important this issue is to us.

Older, larger fish are more valuable and more sought after by both sectors. These same fish are more important to the ecosystem because they produce more eggs as they age and mature.

Problem: the latest stock assessment shows that overfishing is occurring on a coastwide basis and has been for 32 of the last 54 years! The stock is at an all time low. This is no longer a localized problem, this is a coastwide crisis.

TWO COMMERCIAL SECTORS: BAIT FISHERY (20%) REDUCTION FISHERY (80%)

Lobster First

Industrialization of our local fleets Purse vessel to left carries 45,000 fish Carrier Vessel to right carries 350,000 fish

With dramatic declines in the Atlantic herring fishery, the demand for fresh large adult menhaden is only going to get worse. The New England lobster industry is counting on menhaden for bait. Dozens of trucks leave New Jersey ports loaded with thousands of Bunkers destined for lobster traps each day.

Reduction Fishing
80% of the Menhaden taken out of Mid Atlantic waters are ground up and “reduced” into
fish meal and fish oil

With the aid of a spotter plane, fishing is easy. Entire schools are decimated in just one set.

Omega’s Fleet: 47 vessels and 34 aircraft

Every Year more than 100,000 metric tons of fish are scooped up along the East Coast. This is more than 200 million pounds of Menhaden. In recent years, 20% of the landings come from "bait" boats. The vast majority of the rest of the fish are caught for reduction purposes by one company based out of Reedville Virginia

Any idea how GREAT our fishing would be if there was no Omega to grind the Bunker up?

It takes 26 pounds of Fish meal to grow 1 pound of Bluefin Tuna

In the Chesapeake Bay, 70% percent of the striped bass have mycobacteriosis, (aka MYCO) with less menhaden in the bay, thousands of sick bass are struggling to survive

We all have concerns about the current health of the striped bass stocks. Juvenile recruitment has been low for a few years. With the current rate of decline of Menhaden stocks, the future does not look good at all for our favorite game fish.

Without plentiful adult and juvenile Menhaden to feed on, the future of Striped Bass is uncertain

Anybody remember Weakfish?

The future of our gamefish reduced to a bag of meal

61% of Americas fish come from Asian Fish Farms

American Menhaden Fish meal is fed to the fish, and the fish are then sold back to us

From Tilapia to Tuna, many of the fish we eat are raised on Menhaden fish meal and oils

Pigs get to market faster on Menhaden based protien diets

Yes, even in the milk we give to our children and in the steaks that we eat

Take a good look at your pet food label, chances are it contains fish meal or fish oil from Menhaden

Costco’s “KIRKLAND Signature” brand Dog & Cat foods are made by Diamond Pet Foods a major client of OMEGA PROTIEN Just last year, Costco re evaluated all of its seafood products so that they were all sourced from “sustainable” fisheries. Yet, every bag they sell contains Menhaden Fish meal!

The ASMFC has a chance to end over fishing of menhaden. Its up to US, the Recreational fishing community to let them know that we are united together and deeply concerned about the current overfishing situation. We NEED them to change the way Menhaden are being commercially eliminated from the ecosystem and put a LIMIT on the total annual catch.

Menhaden Coalition Members
American Sport fishing Association
Bass Pro Shops
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Coastal Conservation Association Maryland
Coastal Conservation Association Virginia
Falmouth Flats Fly Fishers
Fly Fishers of Virginia
Friends of the Rappahannock
Great Bridge Fisherman’s Association
Green Top Sporting Goods
Greenpeace
James River Association
Jersey Coast Anglers Association
Lateral Line Fishing Clothing
Maryland Saltwater Sport fishermen’s Association
Massachusetts Striped Bass Association
National Coalition for Marine Conservation
Peninsula Saltwater Sport Fishing Association
Pennsylvania Striped Bass Association
Plum Island Surfcasters (MA)
Portsmouth Anglers’ Club
Public Trust Project
Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers' Association
Save the Bunker
Striped Bass Conservation Coalition
Stripers Forever
Tidewater Anglers Club
Virginia Anglers Club
Virginia Beach Anglers’ Club
Virginia Coastal Fly Anglers
Virginia Conservation Network
Virginia Fly Fishing Festival

Reel Therapy Fly Fishing Light tackle Charters Capt. Paul Eidman [email_address] 732 922 4077

Menhaden fish oil on your Pharmacy shelf

Menhaden presentation rev

by paulyfish

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