NJ fishing guide urges public to speak out against overfishing

My name is Capt. Paul Eidman and I am a New Jersey fishing guide on the Jersey shore. I’ve been on the water my entire life, as was my father, his father and my great grandfather. As a fishing guide, I depend on abundant schools of Menhaden, or Bunker as we call them to attract the striped bass, bluefish, weakfish and everything else clients fish for. Without bunker, our sport of saltwater fishing, as we know it would be ruined.  

Concerned fisherman and others always ask me what’s going on with the bunker. It’s a complicated subject, but to sum it all up, the story is that over the past 25 years we have lost over 90 percent of our bunker population to the unregulated netting by the commercial fishing fleet. Hard to believe that bunker are the only fish around that are still unregulated. These companies can take as many fish as they want. There are NO limits.


Onboard view of an Omega Industrial bunker haul



Small scale, traditional inshore bait seine netter

bunker are highly sought after by several bait netting companies in the Mid Atlantic for use as commercial lobster and crab bait, but by far the biggest volume of fish is taken by one company called Omega Protein Inc.

Omegas East coast division factory ships and spotting planes come out of a small port in Reedville, on the Virginia side of the Chesapeake bay. Omega is the only company lands a greater volume of fish than every other fishery in the United States. As we speak, Omega Protein is vacuuming up Menhaden from our coastal waters at the rate of over 150,000 tons per season. The company grinds the bunker into fish meal and oil, for use in a zillion products, including pet foods, animal feed and fish oil pills.

Chinese catfish sold as SWAI or BASA in America

Over 50% of Omega Proteins sales revenue come from Asia, which means that America’s fish are being ground up and shipped off to China. Fish that we eat all the time are raised in huge farms all over Asia. Farm raised Salmon, Tilapia, Shrimp, and Swai/Basa (catfish) are all fed American menhaden meal, while our stripers, blues and tuna starve in the Atlantic.

Tilapia fattened up on Menhaden Meal to get to market faster

To make things worse, when those Chinese fish are fattened up for the market, many are shipped back to the U.S. for consumers to purchase. Cheap bagged up frozen fish lining the end caps at Walmart or your local grocer have become the norm and economically depressed American families are buying them up nationwide. America’s fisherman could be the ones profiting from abundant bunker, but instead, our bait fish are shipped 7,000 miles away to feed tilapia.


Meanwhile, our gamefish are scrawny and hungry. 70% of the stripers in the Chesapeake bay have mycobacteriosis, or MYCO a life threatening disease related directly to malnutrition. There’s fewer bunker for everyone. Stripers are out competing weakfish for food and eating weakfish juveniles when they cant get enough Menhaden. Our ecosystem, fisherman and related business are going to go down in flames if we don’t cut back NOW on the numbers of bunker the industry catches.



MYCO lesions on a Striped Bass

Future sustainability depends upon a lot of things, but it all starts this fall. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries commission (ASMFC) will be deciding just how much to cut back the menhaden catch. It’s up to you to stand up and let them know how important the bunker are to you. Tell them that you are expecting them to do the right thing and vote with mother nature and not against it.

Fresh Bunker in baskets for bait shops

A rebuilt, abundant stock of bunker would have immense benefits for small business up and down the coast, from bait and tackle stores to charter boats, marina operations and to independent fisherman using cast nets that supply our bait shops.

But if we don’t act, we risk collapsing our bunker population even further- with 90 percent already gone, how much more can we afford to sacrifice? We want our stripers and we want our blues- we need our bunker.

Omega fishing with no end in sight

Let’s stand together to make sure that corporate greed and lobbying don’t win over common sense. Reach out to us at the Menhaden Defenders website or on Facebook and get involved today. Follow us on twitter. Our ocean and fishing depends on you!

 

Menhaden Defenders letter to the ASMFC

Dr. Louis B. Daniel III
Vice Chair
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

Dr. Daniel and fellow commissioners,
Thank you for this opportunity to make comments. We are encouraged by the commissioners that are continuing holding the course on sustainability and put an end to the industrial slaughter once and for all.
The Atlantic Menhaden situation has become very visible and the actions of the ASMFC commissioners are being watched by thousands of concerned citizens and fisherman. 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 shrunken dramatically and the bunker have as well.
On my home waters of Raritan Bay in New Jersey, the bunkers have always been very large, with the majority of the fish measuring well over a foot long, over the past two seasons I have noticed that they have shrunken down to 10 inches and smaller.
I see this lack of larger, older fish as yet another warning sign. Never, in over 30 years of fishing the bay have I seen bunkers of this size. Add this to what I have seen over the past 6 years with the complete disappearance of the acres of young peanut sized bunkers that used to trigger our annual fall blitz fishing for stripers, bluefish and weakfish. I realize that this is anecdotal, but as an observant fisherman, this clearly tells me that things are changing for the worse.
As the leader of Menhaden Defenders, fisherman reach out to me all the time, and they are sincerely concerned and worried. Unfortunately, New Jersey, New York and Delaware Bay anglers are the only ones that I hear good news from as they have plentiful bunkers still in the water. The Southern Fisherman are saying the same exact thing as the New England fisherman. The bait fish they all relied upon for good, consistent fishing are gone. The fish that they used to have acres of, have simply vanished.
This isn’t about hurting Omega Protein. This is about hurting the ecosystem, along with thousands of recreational fisherman, and related businesses that all thrive with an abundant menhaden population. To be direct, recreational fisherman have had ENOUGH. We are tired of the future of our waters being determined by commercial interests. We are tired of the greedy needs of a few benefiting at the expense of the masses. The days of ZERO catch limits are over, as there are just too many creatures that depend on this species for survival.
The ASMFC has the opportunity to be on the right side of history and finally alter what we have come to know as the normal historical cycle of this fishery: abundance, overfishing, crash, stop fishing, resurgence. It’s up to all of the commissioners to continue to move forward and protect the remaining menhaden population. This fish is the life blood of our waters and we are all depending on you to continue to make the right decisions and vote with  mother nature and not big business.
All of us hope that the ASMFC will consider the ecosystem first as the primary concern, protecting it so that the striped bass, weakfish, bluefish and other species that need menhaden to survive and thrive get their share of menhaden first. History has proven if we do not have enough menhaden for the ecosystem, the system will fail.
Thank you,
Capt. Paul Eidman
Founder, Menhaden Defenders

MINI NEEDS MENHADEN!

"MINI"

Our grassroots group, "Menhaden Defenders" has been working with fellow anglers to increase awareness and get fisherman involved in the fight because they are on the front lines and have watched this vital forage fish vanish right before their eyes.

After sitting before the Atlantic States Marine Fishery Commission (ASMFC) last week, it frustrated me to listen to our publicly appointed commissioners openly debate whether or not there is “enough good data” to move forward with the catch limits they agreed to put in place last November. This meeting made it even more apparent to me that now is the time for us to increase our outreach beyond the recreational fishing community. The industry has its attorneys and lobbyists in place and they are making every attempt to delay this process so they can continue to fish at the unrestricted, breakneck pace they are used to.

A senior member of the pod

Angler outcry and participation is simply not enough as this issue goes so much deeper than fishing. Menhaden fish, in one form or another, are in our lives and due to our seemingly insatiable Omega-3 fever, continue to thrive on our grocer's and pharmacy shelves. Consumers can't even begin to perceive the products that it is used in, sprayed on, or grown with. Menhaden or Bunker as we call them here, have been depleted to the lowest levels ever recorded.
Menhaden are the backbone of the marine food web and vitally important to an amazing number of creatures both in the water and along its shores. People everywhere need to know that commercial overfishing has reduced (pun intended) Atlantic Menhaden stocks over 88% from what they used to be. Put simply, if there is not a significant catch limit placed upon this fishery now, we are looking at an ecological disaster in the making.

As the ASMFC continues thru this fall with its debate of exactly how much of a catch limit to implement and how many tons of reduced landings each of the two sectors will have to absorb, the demise continues. The bunkers are purse seined and vacuumed up by the ton, ground up and turned into fish meal/fish oil (reduction sector-156K mt) and lobster/crab bait (Bait sector-45K mt). Together, both sectors net over 200,000 metric tons of bunker out of Mid Atlantic waters each year with the majority of landings recorded in Virginia and New Jersey.

An Omega Protein processing ship   photo credit: Jetski Brian

Large schools of adult, foot long bunker gather up en masse along Jersey beaches every summer.  Sad to say, the Jersey shore is one of the few spots left on the East coast where this still actually happens. 
Many of the menhaden schools north of Cape Cod and south of the Carolinas  have simply vaporized. 
Right here in central NJ, I see tractor trailer trucks with containers filled with bunker and ice headed back to Maine loaded up with Jersey bunker for use as lobster bait. You know things are really bad when lobstermen have to pay a trucker to drive over 8 hours (433 miles) one way from Booth Bay Harbor, Maine just to get bait. This upper and lower range absence should be incentive alone to implement a catch reduction. Marine biologists agree that this is a clear indication that the overall biomass of the stock has shrunken down.

Most of our large stripers that were here in the springtime have headed north to seek cooler waters, but the marine mammals, sharks, tuna, osprey and other top predators all capitalize on this warm water and the incredible bunker bounty.

Bunker Tails

Speaking of New Jersey, a perfect example happened recently. Sleeping in one day, I decided to go on what my fishing buddies and I call a “chick” trip. I suggested a boat ride to my girlfriend to go out dolphin watching. If you refer to the “man handbook”, these random acts of kindness are secretly offered up to our mates to gain points now, so that when we vanish into our fall fishing madness it is almost acceptable. We hitched my boat up to the truck, launched and cleared the inlet and in no time, we were right in the middle of a really big school of bunker. Seeing this, I was hopeful that we would come upon a pod or two of our bottle-nosed buddies.

Sure enough, they appeared right next to us, dozens of them, entire families or “pods” as they are called. Cavorting about, jumping and smashing the waters with tails and then swirling around to feast upon the protein packed little fish. 
Most thrilling were the young ones, one of which we named “Mini”. My girlfriend was in awe and could not believe her eyes. She had never seen anything like this and was overwhelmed with joy. It brought tears to her eyes when she saw Mini with its mother feeding together in the school.

She has attended my talks and hears me speak about bunker all the time, but this single event has turned her into a vocal advocate and now she is emphatic about saving the bunker. She finds it unbelievable that there is no limit on how many of these fish can be caught and unacceptable that there is not more being done about it. 

We all need to make sure that there are enough bunker in the water for "Mini" to feed on and thrive. While the ASMFC is deliberating, we can all do our part as consumers and pay attention in the grocery and pharmacy aisles.  Learn more about items enhanced with “Omega 3” and simply stop buying them. Select your fish oil products carefully and switch over to sustainably sourced oils like Flaxseed. Make sure your dogs and cats aren’t eating food containing “herring” or “Ocean fish” as these are just a few of the industries code words that are used to describe menhaden ingredients.

A drop in sales will send a clear message to the companies selling these products and ultimately get them to remove menhaden based ingredients and put an end to the antiquated practice of depleting the food web. The days of robbing a meal from wildlife in order to produce our food cheaper need to end.

It is my hope that everybody reading this will do even more than changing personal buying habits. Remember to show up at the local public hearings scheduled for this fall and tell your your states ASMFC commissioners how you feel and hope that they will think twice when making decisions. Please speak up and write to our congressional delegates and make sure that they save Mini’s next meal. Let them know how important it is to put a limit on the Atlantic Menhaden fishery and allow the stock to rebuild for the future.

 

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
ME		Patrick 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
NH		Douglas 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
MA		Paul 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
RI		Robert 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
CT		David 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
NY		James 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
NJ		David 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
PA		John 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 202150Harrisburg, PA 17120-2150 Phone: 717/705-7164
DE		David 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
MD		Thomas 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
VA		Jack 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
NC		Louis 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
SC		Robert 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
GA		A.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
FL		Aaron 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

Spring 2012 ACTION ALERT>>

Greetings! Fellow Menhaden Defender,

The Battle for the Bunker continues. This is your call to action. Please do your part to help our Bunker and make sure that the ASMFC hears us loud and clear.

If possible, please attend your local hearing with your comments in hand. The hearing schedule is at ASMFC website below. If submitted otherwise, comments must be received by 5:00 PM (EST) on April 20, 2012. Do not wait until last minute, act now!

The ASMFC is currently seeking public comment on management tools for the commercial and recreational menhaden fisheries. At this stage of the process, it is important that the ASMFC include as many practical options as possible in the Amendment (except for the ridiculous 10 year timeline!) so that stakeholders and the public have an opportunity to comment.

I encourage you to add your own comments to the comment contained here. A personalized message will have a greater impact. However, the most important thing is to comment. If you would like to see more details regarding this request for public input, please visit the www.asmfc.org website, found under managed species>Atlantic Menhaden-

You may submit public comment in one or more of the following ways:

1. Attend public hearings held in your state or jurisdiction, if applicable.

2. Refer comments to your state’s members on the Atlantic Menhaden Board or Atlantic

Menhaden Advisory Panel, if applicable.

3. Mail, fax, or email written comments to the following address:

Michael Waine

Fishery Management Plan Coordinator

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

1050 North Highland Street, Suite 200A-N

Arlington, Virginia 22201

Fax: (703) 842-0741

mwaine@asmfc.org (subject line: Menhaden PID)

If you have any questions please call Mike Waine at (703) 842-0740.

Dear Michael Waine,

Atlantic menhaden is a critical species to our marine ecosystem, yet overfishing has occurred 52 of the last 54 years. The population is now at record low levels.

It is time for the ASMFC to act by establishing the first ever coast-wide limit on menhaden landings, along with appropriate management measures to insure that limit is not exceeded.

The ASMFC must implement the new amendment in time for the 2013 fishing season. The ASMFC has seen overwhelming, unprecedented public support for menhaden conservation: 91,000 people wrote to the ASMFC in support of leaving more menhaden in the sea. In line with its mission to manage public marine resources sustainably, the ASMFC should finalize the new amendment to the fishery management plan by October 2012.

It is important that the Menhaden Management Board:

1. Implement immediate catch reductions that will achieve the TARGET in 3 years or less. The sooner we restore menhaden abundance, the sooner it will benefit the ocean’s many predators and the east coast fisheries that depend on the commercial and sport fish that need menhaden to thrive!

2. Remove the 10-year rebuilding timeline as an option. It’s a slap in the face to the public, who have already waited a decade for the ASMFC to take action to restore menhaden, to be asked to wait another 10 years!

3. Set a total allowable coast-wide catch, with at least a 75% probability of achieving the target within the designated time frame. Menhaden must be restored throughout its historical range. There is too much at stake to take chances with recovery!

In addition

· Timely, comprehensive catch reporting must be in place to administer the coastwide quota.

· The recreational fishery should maintain de minimus status, as long as the fishery continues to catch less than 1 percent of the total.

· States that wish to apply for de minimus status must be subject to rigorous monitoring and applicable limits, beyond which they will no longer quality for de minimus status.

· The ASMFC should call for complimentary management measures to be implemented in federal waters (EEZ). The United States EEZ is the largest in the world. Menhaden management must be extended to these waters to ensure conservation of this crucially important forage species.

Overall, the ASMFC include as many practical options as possible in the Amendment, except for the absurd 10 year timeline to meet the target, and it should take action immediately, such that new management measures are implemented for the 2013 fishing season.

Respectfully,

Your name with address, state, zip code and email address

Thanks very much for your continued support and action. Please remember to follow us on Facebook, Twitter or the Menhaden Defenders Website: www.menhadendefenders.org

AND: make sure that you have a your No Bunker=No Bass sticker.

You get 2 of them for a donation of $5.

Email captpaul@menhadendefenders.org with your address.

Thanks,

Paul

With Sustainability In Question, New Jersey Environmental Officials Shut Down State's River Herring Fishery « CBS New York

With Sustainability In Question, New Jersey Environmental Officials Shut Down State's River Herring Fishery « CBS New York

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.