According to the 2010 forecast, combined landings for 2009 populations totaled 1.33 billion pounds(589,670 metric tons) of menhaden harvested (source: J. Smith, NOAA NMFS). The recently extended Chesapeake Bay harvest cap for Omega Protein will allow them to continue to remove up to 240,000,000 pounds from the Bay each year.  As for recruitment, Atlantic Menhaden do not spawn until age 2+, and according to the latest numbers from NMFS, 81% of all the Atlantic Menhaden caught are between 1 and 2 years old (source: J. Smith, NOAA NMFS). By catching young fish before they have the chance to breed, even a prolific breeding stock like Menhaden will eventually incur the inevitable decline that has been documented.

According to Jim Uphoff, the stock assessment coordinator for the Fisheries Service of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland surveys indicate that the fish hit lows in the nineties, and have not improved since. The Chesapeake Bay Program reports:”Scientists are concerned about what appears to be a low abundance of menhaden in the Bay, which is one of the fish’s key nursery areas. Fisheries-independent data from seine surveys in Maryland and Virginia through 2004 suggested that menhaden recruitment—the number of juveniles that grow to a “catchable” size—was possibly declining in the Bay. Coast-wide recruitment is considered to be at median historic levels.”

Despite attempts to downplay the role Menhaden play as filter feeders, much more research tends to refute that. According University of Maryland marine biologist Sara Gottlieb, “Think of menhaden as the liver of a bay. Just as your body needs its liver to filter out toxins, ecosystems also need those natural filters.” A recent VIMS study indicates “Far more nitrogen is coming into the Bay than what is possible for menhaden to remove”, not that they aren’t fulfilling their role as filter feeders. The notion that excretion of Ammonia-N is somehow adding to bay pollution, even by leveraging an extreme extrapolation of the VIMS model, seems marginal at best.

There are opposition claims that eco-system based management plans are not ready to for use, yet due to the unique role that Menhaden play, we have no choice by to manage according to the role they play in the entire ecosystem. No one wants to end the Menhaden industry, and we certainly do not want to close the Reedville plant. Common ground is the continued abundance of Menhaden, for Industry, fisherman, and the creatures that depend on them for survival. However, Omega’s superior technology and aggressive methodology, which allows it to haul a larger fraction of fish from a diminished population puts that goal in jeopardy. The important thing is to properly manage the stock so that we can keep Omega and us fishermen fishing. To quote Carl Safina of Blue Ocean Institute, “When we protect the fishing industry, the fishing gets worse. When we protect the fish, the fishing gets better.”

In his book, The Most Important Fish in the Sea: Menhaden and America author H. Bruce Franklin makes the case for just how important this fish is to our Atlantic waters, especially the Chesapeake Bay. The Menhaden is a member of the herring family, and is considered a filter feeder (like oysters) because of its ability to feed on algae, plankton and decaying plants. Since menhaden can filter four to six gallons of water per minute, they play a major role in fighting back the influx of nutrients that enter the Bay from Agriculture and storm water runoff. With the depletion of the bay oyster, their role as ‘water cleaner’ is even more vital.

Because of their high fat content, and the ability to convert food into Omega-3 fatty acids, they are also the primary source of food for predator fish such as bluefin tuna, bluefish, and our own striped bass, which use juvenile menhaden for 70 to 80% of their diet. Yet, due to what appears to be a lack of menhaden available in the Bay, striped bass have begun to show signs of ecological stress, including malnutrition, weak body condition, and increased cases of infections from mycobacteriosis.

The commercial utility of the menhaden is a major factor in its decline. Their uses include feed for salmon, hogs, chickens and pets, and billions of pounds are converted into lipstick, makeup, paint, salad dressing, and of course, Omega-3 dietary supplements. Despite the availability of cheap commercial alternatives, especially in the Omega-3 market (krill, flax, and oils from fish parts), the relative ease of catching and processing menhaden continues to promote their over fishing. It should be noted that Houston based Omega Protein, with a new processing facility in Reedville, Virginia, is responsible for close to 90% of the menhaden harvest—the harvests from the Chesapeake Bay and Federal waters amounts to over half a billion fish each season.

Attempts to provide more management of the Menhaden fishery have begun, including SB-185, a bill introduced into the General Assembly by Senator Ralph Northam. SB-185 was defeated, yet it was still an important first step, taking the initiative in creating a nuanced eco-system based fishery management plan which originates and is implemented at the state and local level. By giving state agencies such as the VMRC more authority, our science and enforcement communities can work together at the Chesapeake Bay level to ensure that menhaden, and in the process striped bass, bluefish and osprey can have a fighting chance at survival.

In 1992, the cod fishery off the coast of Newfoundland, a fishery that just a few years earlier produced yields of million of tons, collapsed. Since then, we have seen bluefin tuna, grouper and marlin stocks plummet, and Atlantic shark populations become ‘functionally’ extinct. Consistent over fishing and limited management has placed the Atlantic menhaden on the same precipice of collapse; their decline in numbers seems to mirror the overall decline of the ecosystem that is so dependant on them. This odd, smelly little fish is too important, and if we allow it to go the way of the cod, the cascading effect on an already reeling ecosystem will be catastrophic.

From NOOA Fishwatch

OREGON INLET, N.C. – Coast Guard and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration personnel combined efforts Tuesday to stop illegal striped bass fishing off Oregon Inlet and found one vessel with illegally caught fish that had more than 2,900 pounds of fish aboard.

The economic pressures being felt nationwide and the meteorological conditions driving the striped bass population farther off shore into warmer waters have set the stage for a situation that may entice fishermen to break the law, as evidenced by recent reports from members of the maritime community.

However, in an effort to ensure the longevity of the striped bass population and maintain a level playing field for all fishermen, federal authorities are taking action. Tuesday, in response to multiple reports of commercial and recreational striped bass fishing within the Exclusive Economic Zone, the Coast Guard and NOAA conducted a joint effort to curtail this illegal activity.

Fishing for striped bass is permitted within State waters, but catching or possessing striped bass outside three nautical miles from shore is a violation of federal regulations. In an effort to catch fishermen participating in this illegal activity, the Coast Guard mounted a patrol within known fishing grounds off Oregon Inlet using Station Oregon Inlet’s small boats with the assistance of additional boarding team personnel from Station Hatteras Inlet.

One of the boarding teams sighted the fishing vessel Lady Samaira as it was heading back into port. It was within the Exclusive Economic Zone when the team boarded the vessel to ensure compliance with both fishery and vessel safety regulations. Their investigation revealed more than 150 striped bass aboard the vessel. The boarding team documented their findings and relayed all pertinent information to NOAA for further guidance as they are the regulatory agency for this type of violation. As a result of the boarding team’s findings, NOAA asked the Coast Guard to direct the Lady Samaira to port where NOAA agents met the vessel. When the vessel moored in North Carolina there were less fish aboard, approximately 100 striped bass. The fish, weighing in at almost 3,000 pounds, were abandoned by the vessel’s captain to the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement.

Typically, if less than 10 illegal fish are discovered, in addition to having to abandon their catch the master is levied a $100 fine per fish and the matter is closed. A violation of this magnitude, though, far exceeds the threshold whereby these simple fines can be levied. The NOAA OLE investigation continues, and the final action to be taken against the master and/or vessel has yet to be determined.

This case, while significant, is just one example of illegal striped bass fishing activity recently interdicted by federal, state, and local authorities. Operations driving additional enforcement efforts continue in the interest of maintaining the viability of the striped bass fish stocks and also supporting legitimate fishermen operating within the law.

“Times are tough for many in today’s world, but we must ensure we’re working together and within existing regulations in order to be fair for all,” said Tim Brown, Coast Guard 5th District deputy chief of enforcement.

The data collection should be a collaborative research effort, partnering waterman and marine scientists, the fishery management community, and the marketplace. Bay scientists should be going out on waterman’s boats on a regular basis, noting harvest data and quality. If the States are going to impose draconian measures to manage the fishery, the data needs to be robust, and near real-time.  This database can include self reported data, and research data collected on the boats and docks which can then supplement the general stock assessment process. Data collection should be comprehensive, and should also be taken at the canneries, and the even the markets. Wholesalers are in the business of understanding the status of the stock; their prices are based on it, so why not include them in the data collection?

Everyone understands that the blue crab population has plummeted, and management is required, yet the need for more accurate science is also critical. The economic impact of regulations to our waterman is estimated at over $15 million dollars; the current regulations may produce a slow up tick in the crab population, but they will certainly collapse our waterman communities, while not addressing the root cause of the problem. The long term decline of the crab has not been caused by dangerous fleets of rogue crabbers, but by the deterioration of the Chesapeake Bay. Since 2006, Virginia has invested about $660 million in cleaning up Virginia’s rivers and tributaries, yet water quality and habitat have not improved enough to help the crab population.

In fact, the Chesapeake Bay Program reports that the Bay’s overall health received a grade of -C again this season. Population growth in the watershed continues to pour tons of point source nutrients and contaminants into the Bay from storm water running off roads and roofs, and industrial agriculture drains phosphorous, nitrogen and sediments into streams and rivers that eventually flow into the Bay. Given the lack of will for cleaning up the Bay, it doesn’t appear that the blue crabs will ever have a habitat that will restore the population.

When 169 megabytes of global-warming emails and related files were leaked from computers at the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Center in Britain, many were shocked to find that scientists would manipulate data and models to falsify and create desired outcomes, hoping for social, political or economic gain. Our Bay scientists may not manipulating the science like East Anglia, yet the limited methodology and knee jerk reactions to less than robust data is causing lasting hardships to one of our oldest Chesapeake Bay cultures.

The End of the Line premiere at Sundance kicked-off the global campaign for citizens to demand better marine policies. Leading international environmental organizations are lending their full support to the film.

The End of the Line is being released worldwide in 2009 using multiple formats and venues including theaters, broadcast and cable television networks, film festivals, online video campaigns, aquariums, museums and special screenings for environmental and educational organizations.

“There is no better place than Sundance for The End of the Line to have its world premiere,” said the film’s director, Rupert Murray.

“Sundance has a long history of making cutting edge, issue-based documentaries matter.” Murray’s first film, “Unknown White Male” premiered at the festival in 2005.

Charles Clover, the book’s author, said: “We must stop thinking of our oceans as a food factory and realize that they thrive as a huge and complex marine environment.

“We must act now to protect the sea from rampant overfishing so that there will be fish in the sea for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”

“Overfishing is the great environmental disaster that people haven’t heard about,” said producer George Duffield.

“A recent global conference about bluefin tuna stocks saw almost no media coverage in the U.S. We hope this film really sounds the alarm. We can fix this problem starting right now.”

“Reading the book The End of the Line changed my life and what I eat. I hope the film will do the same for others,” said producer Claire Lewis.

Press Release, Courtesy of End Of The Line’, Rupert Murray, Director of The End of the Line

 Greenpeace has compiled this database from existing official registries of Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) vessels and companies. Industrial fishing vessels and fishery support vessels, including motherships, refrigerated carriers and supply vessels, may be included on the database. The purpose of this blacklisted vessels and company database is to provide a single database tool with convenient search functions for national fisheries administrators, particularly from developing countries, and others to quickly check on the compliance status of foreign vessels trying to unload its catch in port, seeking services in port, seeking a fishing license or to register or flag in a country. It is also hoped that the database will serve as tool for retailers and suppliers to ensure the fish they source do not come from pirate fishing vessels or from companies involved in such activities. At a later stage the database will also hold information of irresponsible fishing vessels and companies that fish without a license or are in breach of management and conservation measures that Greenpeace comes across during it’s time at sea or in monitoring well known ports of illegal fish landings, or is reported from other reliable sources. It is hoped that this information will further assist authorities to deal adequately and in timely and efficient manner with pirate fishing.

The news is even more shocking when taking into account the steady decline of the mature bluefin population, which has been reduced by more than 80% since 1970. Technically, given the extra teeth the Bush administration provided through the Magnuson Stevens Fisheries Act, bluefin, marlins, swordfish and turtles are not only protected, but also the practice of fishing for one species while baiting for another is illegal. The extreme nature of the longlines indicates that by-catch (bluefin and marlin), is the real target. As bluefin numbers dwindle, their rarity, and the insatiable appetite in Japan and Europe for sushi makes them more valuable; at the Tsukiji Fish Market a bluefin can fetch more than $100,000. Last year, a 400-pound tuna sold for $178,000 dollars in Tokyo .

Bluefin tuna are one of the most highly evolved fish species; they can weigh up to 1500 pounds and can swim at speeds over 20 knots, yet, why should we be concerned about their plight? Mainly, it speaks to a larger issue of stewardship and ecosystem management, and our inability to provide a sustainable way of living that integrates biological, social and economic factors into a comprehensive strategy aimed at protecting our natural resources. The depletion and mismanagement of our fishery resources also brings with it an economic cost. Colin Woodard in his book ‘Oceans End’ reflects on how the diminished salmon catch in the Northwest has cost 72,000 jobs and nearly a billion dollars to Canada ’s economy. Our own crabbers can speak to how mismanagement of the Bay has destroyed their livelihood. When I was young, Maine boasted over 300 trawler boats. Presently, there are barely 100.

 Despite the dire situation, the bluefin and other fisheries are not a lost cause. Over the last few years, we have seen how fisheries can recover with the right management. Our own success with the Rockfish population here in the Bay is a perfect example. To quote Carl Safina of Blue Ocean Institute “When people defend their fishing, their fishing gets worse; when they defend their fish, their fishing gets good.”

However, real change can only occur once our governments, and governing bodies such as ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas)start basing policy on real and accurate data. At the international, national and local levels, our agencies need to start listening to our scientists, and base policy on Eco-System based management practices that have been proven effective, such as the work being done by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

As consumers, we can also play a part. Use data, such as is provided by the Monterey Aquarium’s Seafood Watch guide, to help make choices that support healthy and sustainable fishing practices. Even if they do not want to hear it, tell your favorite restaurants to do the same.

The bluefin matters because we are just as dependent on the viability of the sea as they are. Moreover, we have an ethical responsibility to change our patterns if the complexity of our behavior is causing harm. The strict, gray tones of Darwinian survival ring hollow when one thinks of the magnificent bluefin no longer racing through the water. We have to realize that we are all connected, part of a whole, and as men, we have been graced and cursed as the world’s active agents. Given a robust chance, evolution has equipped bluefin, and us with the ability to adapt and survive, yet it seems it is only by our choice.

On April 26, 1986, the fourth nuclear reactor at Chernobyl exploded. The village of Svyatsk in western Novozybkov is now abandoned. The signs outside the village that once proudly listed each year’s potato harvest abruptly end in 1986. It is possible to imagine a blue ocean without tuna. In Svyatsk, it is also possible to imagine a world without men.

 As the winter(rockfish) fishing season begins, all anglers, sport and commercial, should consider the plight of declining shark populations and the effects that the heavy fishing of them is having on the ecosystem. Fewer big sharks in the oceans mean that bay scallops, oysters and other shellfish may be damaged, tying unlikely members of the marine ecosystem to the same fate. A study by Dalhousie University has found that over fishing the largest predatory sharks, such as the bull, blue, dusky, and hammerhead has led to the rapid expansion of ray, skate, and small shark prey species. Large sharks have been functionally eliminated from the east coast, no longer performing their ecosystem role as top predators. Fewer big sharks mean there are more of the fish they once ate, such as the Cownose ray. With an average population increase of about eight percent per year, the east coast Cownose ray population may now number as many as 40 million.

Cownose can grow to be more than four feet across, eat large quantities of bivalves, including bay scallops, oysters, soft-shell and hard clams in the bays and estuaries they use for habitat in the summer and spring. This increased predation by cownose rays inhibits the recovery of oysters and clams which are already damaged by overexploitation, disease, habitat destruction, and pollution. By 2004, Cownose rays had completely devastated North Carolina’s scallop population, collapsing a centuries-old fishery. As many as 73 million sharks are killed worldwide each year for the finning trade, and the number is rising. Growing demand for shark fins and meat has led to increased fishing, but a large number are caught accidentally as “by catch” by fisherman after other types of fish. According to Carl Safina of Blue Ocean Institute, 75% of all fish are captured as by catch. The danger for Sharks (and other elasmobranches) posed by increased fishing pressure, is that they are long-lived, slow to mature, and produce few offspring. Aggressive fishing can take a toll much more quickly on sharks than other fish.

 Ecologists have long held that maintaining the populations of top predators is critical for sustaining healthy oceanic ecosystems; its organisms are interconnected, and changes at one level have implications at others. An Ecosystem based view of fisheries management states the necessity of protecting species such as sharks as a primary player in the overall health of the ecosystem. But, sharks are also a protected species. The Shark Finning Prohibition Act was signed into law on December 21, 2000. The Act prohibits people under U.S. jurisdiction from: (1) engaging in shark finning at sea; (2) possessing shark fins aboard a fishing vessel without the corresponding carcass; or (3) landing shark fins without the corresponding carcass. And according to NOAA’s Regulatory Changes in Amendment 1 to the Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish, and Sharks, several species of pelagic and coastal sharks are protected by Time and Area Closures for commercial vessels with bottom longline gear on board from January through July off North Carolina.

A map of the closed shark areas can be found at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/images/HMS_Closed_Areas_w_Bathymetry.jpg

Yet, without increased enforcement of existing regulations, big sharks may be fished to extinction. As sportsman, waterman, and stewards of our oceans, it is our duty to protect our Living Marine Resources and report violations. To help engage the public, the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement adopted COPPS (Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving) as a national initiative, designed to empower communities and individuals to actively participate in their local marine conservation management. The NOAA Fisheries Enforcement Hotline (1-800-853-1964) provides live operator coverage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for anyone in the United States to report a federal fisheries violation.

I know it’s difficult to worry about the fate of sharks, but losing these top predators is having a devastating effect on our home waters, damaging the already fragile shell fish habitats and sea grass. This summer, a catch and release policy for sharks should be in every angler’s toolbox. Also, be on the lookout for illegal fishing activities.

Sharks matter, so please report any and all violations to the NOAA COPS hotline at 1-800-853-1964.

This project was the first in the nation to be funded by a Superfund natural resource damage settlement that included money for performance monitoring. Efforts have succeeded in establishing a diverse population of salt marsh and coastal plant and animal species, including marsh vegetation, invertebrates, fish and birds. NOAA’s Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program restores habitats and communities that have been harmed by oil spills, hazardous substance releases, and ship groundings. Since the 1980s, this program has worked with other agencies, industry and communities to successfully protect natural resources at more than 500 waste sites and settled almost 200 natural resource damage assessment cases, generating almost $450 million for restoration projects nationwide.