East Coast Anglers Demand Positive ASMFC action!

As a local NJ fishing guide and the founder of Menhaden Defenders.org and I have been presenting to fishing clubs about the commercial over exploitation of Atlantic Menhaden, which we call Bunker. I have spoken with dozens of concerned anglers, but the ones that have affected me the most have been the guys that fish New England and Chesapeake waters and both are reporting that there are simply no bunker left inshore.
Over the past few seasons, there are less adult sized fish and few if any peanut bunker schools each fall. In the Chesapeake Bay area, they have fewer bass to catch and when caught, bass are small and malnourished, and consider themselves lucky to catch a bluefish over a pound.
NY & NJ anglers have been fortunate, enjoying relatively great fishing but we need to pay attention to our brothers in to the North and South because. Locally, we are seeing the school sizes decrease and the bunker are getting smaller, and there are fewer older, larger bunker each year.
Springtime fishing for migratory brood stock striped bass has been has been nothing short of fantastic, however this is very deceptive. The past few seasons of our fall striped bass fishing tell the real story, which is triggered by the young menhaden of the year, or “peanut bunkers”, migrating out of the backwaters.

These peanuts have been virtually nonexistent and the fantastic fall striper fishing has vaporized along with it.

It is clear to thousands of anglers fishing, from Maine to Florida that the indiscriminate industrialized removal of the bunker is happening on a daily basis and nobody is doing anything about it. Many are witnessing “localized depletion” and all of us are hoping that the ASMFC will vote in favor of the ecosystem instead of bending to commercial interests..
Here in NJ, right before our eyes we watch the planes fly over and direct the boats to move in and scoop up thousands of bunker. The bunker are taken away day after day which causes our Stripers, Bluefish and other game fish move off.
Out of sight and past the three mile mark, out in the EEZ, very large carrier type vessels that used to be part of the Atlantic Herring fleet have shifted species, moved south and joined the carnage. They have run out of Sea Herring to catch for the lobster bait so now the focus is on bunker, the next bait fish available. Over 80% of all of the bait purchased by Massachusetts bait dealers is taken from waters off of New Jersey.
Add this growing demand to the 200,000 metric tons of bunker vacuumed up annually by Omega protein for fish meal and fish oil purposes. Omega’s net set maps show that they are busy just south east of Sandy Hook and all along the offshore areas of New Jersey.

Our offshore waters have become the number one hotspot for vacuuming up all the adult, spawning age bunker that they can fit into there hulls. We realize that the ASMFC governs only state waters, but we implore them to advise NOAA to implement better observation and collect complete data on landings from the EEZ.
Both these sectors target large adult fish, the same fish that we rely on to provide the young that migrate into our back bay nursery areas and provide food for dozens of smaller and or immature species.
Keep in mind that this is not about the traditional, small scale cast net operations that provide bait to tackle shops and to recreational fisherman, this is about the multi million dollar business of providing for Lobster bait and the Reduction Industry.
The combination of Omega Proteins tonnage and the Lobster bait boom is proving to be a lethal blow to nature and the ASMFC’s own study team data proves it. The bunker population is at the lowest level in thirty years and NOW is the right time for positive action.
Understand that we as a group are not advocating to create hardship for the commercial fisherman that rely on the fish to earn a living. We seek MODERATION and an end to the sustained industrial over exploitation has landed us where we are today.
Collectively, we cannot allow selfish big business interests to continue to strip mine our waters at the current pace with complete and total disregard for all that depend on a healthy ecosystem.
By allowing more adult, spawning age fish to remain in the waters we position ourselves to benefit to the maximum if nature provides the correct conditions during spawn time. More menhaden in the water will simultaneously benefit the ecosystem and all user groups with just a few smart decisions by the ASMFC, starting with the 2012 season.

Be sure to visit http://www.menhadendefenders.org/ before Nov 2 and follow the "take Action" click thru to submit your comment card to the ASMFC directly.