Monday, July 30, 2012

Situation Update


Our Goal is Simple- Increase the population of Menhaden Along the East Coast.
Set catch limits NOW, based on the best available science

Last fall, you all helped in the historical process of beginning to change the way this fishery works. The ASMFC voted to set a new overfishing threshold and target in order to create a sustainable fishery. Now the time has come for the ASMFC to set the rules for the 2013 season and beyond. This is the first time in the history of this fishery that there will be an actual limit placed upon the amount of bunker that can be removed from the waters.

Starting with August 8ths meeting, the ASMFC will be meeting to revise management goals and implement new rules for the commercial harvest of menhaden. As we get closer to the final decision in October, you will begin to hear rumblings from many different angles all in an effort to delay the decision and to avoid catch reduction of any kind. This rhetoric will undoubtedly try to sway public opinion and attempt to derail the management process and utilize the usual “bad science” and “faulty data collection” talk.

We as recreational fisherman and concerned citizens, have had ENOUGH of this talk. We are tired of the future of our waters being determined by commercial financial interests. We are tired of the needs of a few benefiting at the expense of the masses.The ASMFC must not delay in any way and move forward so these fish can rebound NOW.

The facts are in and current data has made it very clear that overfishing has occurred 52 out of the past 54 years. Population levels of this species have dwindled from 200 billion fish down 88% to an all time, century low of 20 billion fish. Older, egg laden adult fish continue to be taken out of our waters in very large numbers and the overall biomass of menhaden has shrunk. Historically, there were evenly distributed schools, with millions of fish of many different ages spread from Florida to Maine and all points in between.

Even in areas such as Raritan Bay, New Jersey, where the bunker are plentiful, the fish are smaller. Yes, there are still some nice size schools present, but the absence of the larger, older adult fish is obvious. Clearly, we need to say goodbye to the large scale, industrialized methods that are strip mining our coastal waters daily.

Unfortunately, much of this industrialized fishing takes near sensitive estuaries and everything that depends upon these fish, at every stage of growth suffers. The days of ZERO catch limits are over, there are simply too many creatures that depend on this species for survival.
Starting this week, it’s up to you to get involved and make your voice heard once again. Make it clear to your state’s ASMFC commissioners and congressional delegates that this fish is the life blood of our waters and that you are depending on them to make the right decision and vote with Mother Nature instead of big business!


Use the list below to identify your commissioner and let him know ASAP:

STATE
ADMINISTRATOR
GOVERNOR'S APPOINTEE
LEGISLATOR
MEPatrick C. Keliher
Department of Marine Resources
21 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0021 Phone: 201/287-9972
Stephen Train
33 Vernon Road
Long Island, ME 04050-3116
Phone: 207/766-5738
Senator Brian Langley
11 South Street
Ellsworth, ME 04605
Phone: 207/667-0625
NHDouglas E. Grout
NH FG
225 Main Street
Durham, NH 03824
Phone: 603/868-1096
FAX: 603/868-3305
G. Ritchie White
30 Lang Road
Rye, NH 03870
Phone: 603/964-2211
Rep. David H. Watters
19 Maple Street
Dover, NH 03820
Phone: 603/862-3983
MAPaul J. Diodati, Chair
MA DMF
251 Causeway Street, #400
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 617/626-1530
FAX: 617/626-1509
William A. Adler
Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association
PO Box 397
Green Harbor, MA 02041
Phone: 781/545-6984
FAX: 781/545-7837 
Representative Sarah K. Peake
State House
Room 473F
State House
Boston, MA 02133
Phone: 617/722-2210
RIRobert Ballou
RI Fish and Wildlife Division, DEM
3 Fort Wetherill Road
Jamestown, RI 02835
Phone: 401/423-1926
FAX: 401/423-1925
William A. McElroy
3229 Tower Hill Road
Wakefield, RI 02879
401/789-0527
Representative Peter F. Martin
1 1/2 Willow Street
Newport, RI 02840-1917
Phone: 401/924-2402
CTDavid G. Simpson CT Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection, Marine Fisheries
333 Ferry Road
PO Box 719
Old Lyme, CT 06371
Phone: 860/434-6043
FAX: 860/434-6150
Dr. Lance Stewart
P.O. Box 177Coventry, CT 06238-0177
Phone: 860/884-7220
Representative Craig A. Miner
House Republican Office
L.O.B. Room 4200
Hartford, CT 01606
Phone: 860/842-1423
FAX: 860/240-0207
NYJames J. Gilmore, Jr.
NYSDEC, Marine Resources
205 North Belle Mead Road
East Setauket, NY
Phone: 631/444-0433
FAX: 631/444-0434
Pat Augustine
25 Stuart Drive
Coram, NY 11727
Phone: 631/928-1524
FAX: 631/928-3540
Senator Owen H. Johnson
23-24 Argyle Square
Babylon, NY 11702
United States
Phone: 631/669-9200
NJDavid Chanda
NJ FW
Mail Code 501-03
PO BOX 420
Trenton, NJ 08625-0420
Phone: 609/292-2965
FAX: 609/292-8207
Thomas P. Fote
22 Cruiser Court
Toms River, NJ 08753-6246
Phone:
732/270-9102
FAX: 732/506-6409
Assemblyman Nelson T. Albano1028 East Landis Avenue
Vineland, NJ 08360-4041
Phone: 856/696-7109
FAX: 856/696-7159
PAJohn A. Arway
PA Fish & Boat Commission
1601 Elmerton Avenue
Harrisburg, PA 17110-9299
Phone: 717/705-7801
Loren W. Lustig
795 Stone Jug Road
Biglerville, PA 17307-9790
Phone: 410/386-2103
FAX: 410/876-8282
Rep. Mike Vereb
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
PO BOX 202150
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2150
Phone: 717/705-7164
DEDavid E. Saveikis
DE Division of Fish and Wildlife
89 Kings Highway
Dover, DE 1990l
302-739-9910
Roy W. Miller
31421 Melloy Court
Lewes, DE 19958-3863
Phone: 302/645-7103


Senator Robert L. Venables, Sr.
116 Hearn Avenue
Laurel, DE 19956
Phone: (302)744-4298
FAX: (302)739-6890
MDThomas O'Connell
MD DNR
580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, MD 21401
Phone: 410/260-8281
FAX: 410/260-8278
William J. Goldsborough
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
6 Herndon Avenue
Annaplois, MD 21403
Phone: 410/268-8816
Senator Richard F. Colburn
5210 Heron Road
Cambridge, MD 21613-3572
Phone: 410/228-1137
FAX: 410/376-3737
VAJack Travelstead
VMRC
2600 Washington Avenue, Third Floor
Newport News, VA 23607-4317
Phone: 757/247-2247
FAX: 757/247-8101
Catherine W. Davenport
1005 Poplar Neck Road
White Stone, VA 22578
Phone: 804/435-2173
Senator Richard H. Stuart
Senate of Virginia
P.O. Box 1146
Montross, VA 22520
Phone: 804/493-8892
FAX: 804/493-8897
NCLouis Daniel, Ph.D., Vice-Chair
NC DMF
3441 Arendell Street
PO BOX 769
Morehead City, NC 28557-0769
Phone: 252/726-7021
FAX: 252/726-0254
Willard W. Cole, Jr.
406 Penrose Court
Greensboro, NC 27410-3114
Phone: 336/294-3919
Rep. William L. Wainwright
NC House of Representatives
300 North Salisbury Street, Room 613
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919/733-5995
SCRobert H. Boyles, Jr.

SC DNR
PO Box 12559
Charleston, SC 29422-2559
Phone: 843/953-9304
FAX: 843/953-9159
Dr. Malcolm Rhodes
7 Guerard Road
Charleston, SC 29407
Phone: 843/556-4731
FAX: 843/571-2787

Chair, ASMFC Governors' Appointees
GAA.G. "Spud" Woodward
GA CRD
One Conservation Way, Suite 300
Brunswick, GA 31520
Phone: 912/264-7218
FAX: 912/262-3143
John Duren
8 Calico Crab Retreat
Savannah, GA 31411-3015
Phone: 912/598-9362
FAX: 912/598-7966
Rep. Jon G. Burns
Georgia General Assembly
Chair, Game, Fish and Parks Committee
State Capitol, Room 228
Atlanta, GA 30334
Phone: 404/656-5099
Fax: 404/656-6897
FLAaron Podey
FL FWCC
Division of Marine Fisheries Management
2590 Executive Center Circle E, Suite 201
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Phone: 850/617-9630
Fax: 850/487-4847
William R. Orndorf
1950 Palomino Road
Melbourne, FL 32934
Senator Thad Altman

Florida Senate, District 24
6767 N. Wickham Road, Suite 211
Melbourne, FL 32940

Phone: 321/752-3138

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