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Post by hookedup on Dec 22, 2019 14:00:58 GMT -5
Finally, the Fed's are planning to stop the Virginia legislature's inaction on Omega's overfishing of menhaden. Virginia is the only east coast state allowing menhaden fishing within the 3 mile limit which has allowed Omega to overfish the Chesapeake Bay. Partial Virginian Pilot article below:
The nation’s secretary of commerce on Thursday said he will shut down Virginia’s menhaden fishery if Omega Protein doesn’t comply with federal quotas by June 17.
Federal fisheries managers recently found the commonwealth “out of compliance” for allowing the company to surpass the bay quota.
Secretary Wilbur Ross issued a statement stating that the Canadian-owned company “willfully violated the fishing cap on menhaden inside the Chesapeake Bay, continuing to fish after the federally-order quota of 51,000 tons had been met.”
“There have been conservationists, conservation organizations and anglers working on this for more than 20 years in an effort to protect the fishery,” Chris Moore, senior regional ecosystem scientist for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, said in a conference call. "This is the largest conservation victory in that effort.
“This is a huge, huge victory to make sure we have a healthier fishery.”
Menhaden are the only saltwater fish in state waters governed by the General Assembly instead of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. “Omega Protein is disappointed in today’s decision by the Secretary of Commerce to impose a moratorium on Virginia’s menhaden fishery,” the company said in a statement. “This is the first time that a moratorium has been placed on a fishery that is not overfished and is healthy by every measure.”
“In response to this decision, Omega Protein will work with both the ASMFC and the Commonwealth of Virginia to lift the moratorium and bring the fishery back into compliance.”
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Post by fishnfool on Dec 23, 2019 15:24:37 GMT -5
That is good to hear and LONG overdue. Unfortunately, it is nothing but a bandaid on a festering wound...
As long as elected VA legislators continue to manage the fisheries the corruption, overfishing and the decimation of the menhaden biostock and rockfish stocks will continue.
Omega is in the back pocket of those elected officials. It's the fox watching the hen house.
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Post by hookedup on Dec 25, 2019 17:11:19 GMT -5
As I read it since Omega is now 'foreign owned' the Feds have the final say and VA legislators can do (or fail to do) whatever they want. The Magnusen-Stevens Act is now running the show and any catch beyond what the Feds say is legal can be dealt with rapidly and harshly. Just guessing, but I'd say that Omega will be on the market soon as what the Canadian company thought they could get away with is no longer doable. At least until the company is a US company again, there is a slight chance of a striper return in Chesapeake Bay. They can still take menhaden, just not more than the Fed limit.
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Post by hookedup on Jan 29, 2020 10:28:26 GMT -5
Where things now stand. Maybe Virginia will move menhaden management to the scientists like all the other fish in Virginia waters:
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Post by hookedup on Jan 29, 2020 10:32:57 GMT -5
Almost missed this one. At a federal level:
H.R. 2236: The Forage Fish Conservation Act
Introduced by CSC Vice-Chair Representative Debbie Dingell, H.R. 2236 would ensure that forage fish species are considered for their critical role in marine ecosystem function and health. Currently, the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (MSA) manages important forage fish species like menhaden just as they do predator species like greater amberjack, red snapper, grouper, etc., using a single-species management model and managing to a maximum sustainable yield. However, this approach fails to account for the need to leave fish in the water as forage for other recreationally and commercially important fish species, as well as marine mammals and birds. This bill would simply require the regional fishery management councils consider the impacts of forage fish harvest quotas on other fish populations and the marine ecosystem when developing new, or revising existing, forage fish management plans.
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Post by hookedup on Aug 6, 2020 15:37:40 GMT -5
I received this from the Coastal Conservation Association - NC. It appears progress on Menhaden is being made:
Anglers Praise Decision to Improve Menhaden Management
ASMFC raises the bar for forage base management (Washington D.C.)-The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted unanimously today to improve management strategies for Atlantic menhaden, by requiring consideration for the small baitfish's impact on fish up the food chain. Economically important sportfish such as striped bass rely on healthy menhaden populations for survival. After recreational anglers weighed in, the Commission adopted the new ecological management system, which considers the needs of predator species and will begin the process of allowing fish like striped bass to meet population targets. Menhaden is the first fishery on the east coast to shift to an ecosystem management approach. "This landmark decision represents a new era in fisheries management," said Whit Fosburgh, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. "We are grateful for the Commission's support of comprehensive strategies that support the entire Atlantic ecosystem. This decision will spur healthier menhaden and gamefish populations while supporting the recreational fishing economy along the eastern seaboard." The Commission has worked diligently for over a decade to thoroughly vet several ecosystem models that led to the development and implementation of these ecological reference points for Atlantic menhaden. The selected model includes important predator species like Atlantic striped bass and bluefish as well as alternative prey such as Atlantic herring. Ultimately, these reference points can be used to set quotas that will help ensure enough menhaden are left in the water to help Atlantic striped bass, bluefish and Atlantic herring rebuild from overfished conditions. "Today's decision is a critical step towards acknowledging that forage fish like menhaden are ecologically important to recreationally important species like striped bass and bluefish," said Mike Leonard vice president of government affairs for the American Sportfishing Association. "A healthy Atlantic menhaden stock, and quotas that account for the needs of predators, is the science-based management we look for to help support a healthy ecosystem and the sportfishing opportunities it provides." "As recreational anglers, we commend the board for adding this new tool to the tool box which allows for a more holistic approach to managing the coast's most valuable forage for striped bass and many other important recreationally caught gamefish species," said David Sikorski, executive director of Coastal Conservation Association Maryland. "The implementation of the ecological reference points for Atlantic menhaden represents a significant step in advancing science-based fisheries management," said Chris Horton, senior director of fisheries policy of the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation. "For the first time, we now have a model that can account for the need to leave menhaden in the water for the benefit of other important fisheries and the marine ecosystem as a whole." "Recreational boaters and anglers stand behind science-backed conservation efforts to maintain the health of our nation's fisheries," said Adam Fortier-Brown, government relations manager of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas. "This is why our community has come out so strongly in support of the approved Atlantic menhaden management plan, which would support the whole ecosystem and begin the process of bringing back populations of prized fish like striped bass, bluefish, and weakfish." According to a recent scientific study, menhaden reduction fishing contributes to a nearly 30 percent decline in striped bass numbers. The striped bass fishing industry contributes $7.8 billion in GDP to the economy along the Atlantic coast.
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Post by fishnfool on Aug 7, 2020 9:12:14 GMT -5
Has there been any follow up on Omega and whether they are complying with catch quotas?
Until something is done about Omega rapping the bay and the VA waters along the coast of the biomass that is menhaden we will never see populations of rockfish and blue fish return to the bay. They kill metric tons of rockfish in the process.
Regulators can put all of the restrictions they want on the recreational fishery in an effort to offset these impacts but they will only continue to chase their tail.
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Post by hookedup on Aug 7, 2020 13:30:15 GMT -5
The rockfish/striped bass/striper story is long and bad. The current downturn is the second since records have been kept and it does appear from what I've read that overfishing is a major contributor.
As for Omega, I was out off Smith Island striper fishing a few years back (when you could actually catch a few) and saw an Omega boat dumping by-catch. They must have left thousands of dead fish over more than a mile. Another time I was out at the 3rd island when their plane spotted menhaden and 5 boats pulled up and started netting. I had been catching fish, but once they started all the fish left. The good news is now that Omega is foreign (Canada) owned, they have to abide by the rules or the federal punishments kick in - not the unenforceable rules Virginia had in place.
I've read the number of juvenile stripers is up the last couple of years and I'm hoping with some tighter restrictions on Omega and recreational fishing we'll get back to where we once were. I guess the real question is "If striper numbers increase significantly, will we go back to overfishing and bring about another period with almost no striper in the bay?" I sure hope not. I remember reeling them in as fast we could, taking pictures and releasing them until my arms got too tired to reel in anymore. We might keep one if any, as large striper aren't the best eating IMO. But, I saw lots of boats at the dock with their coolers full and if we go back to that type of fishing, we'll decimate the breeding population once again. The 'fix' to me is for Virginia to only have citations based on length of released fish and get rid of the weight citation. Have slot fishing to only keep non-breeding size fish, and maybe allow one larger to be kept. And, have scientists decide if we're staying withing guidelines for a healthy population and rapidly change the rules if we're heading the wrong way.
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Post by fishnfool on Aug 7, 2020 19:59:52 GMT -5
As far as I'm concerned it ain't the rec angler that is depleting the resource.
The stupid size and catch limits that promote catch and release and more dead fish is counterintuitive to what they claim they are trying to accomplish. Here's an idea, limit the fish to 2 min 17" and be done. The majority of the fish caught fall within 1" of the summer min size limit, that leads to more fish being caught and released and stressed fish released into hot summer waters that results in a high mortality rate. Between that and the summer algae blooms/fish kills leads to metric tons of floaters.
There are no accurate bycatch statistics as far as Omega is concerned and that cannot be ignored. When the main food source is depleted to such levels nobody can tell that does not have the biggest impact on the stock.
The rec angler is a scape goat in a system that is rigged in favor of the commercial fishery/big donors.
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Post by hookedup on Aug 8, 2020 8:13:38 GMT -5
Guess the summer/winter makes a difference. In winter (had ice on my reels more than once) we were catching 30-45 inch stripers and the water temp was around 42-52 degrees. I've never caught striped bass in warm water as they're not down by the mouth of the Chesapeake at that time of year. In late fall/early winter we can cast for small ones (18-25") at the CBBT islands but I only caught a few there in the last several years.
And yes, I know a lot of fish are killed by fertilizer and dog crap getting washed into the waterways in summer. Occasionally the Northwest River in my back yard gets algae bloom and I try and let nature have the last 10 feet of my yard and never fertilize in summer. But, neighbors have yard service companies that fertilize right down to the waters edge and the city empties the street drains right into the river. What can you do?
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Post by fishnfool on Aug 8, 2020 11:46:20 GMT -5
The upper/mid bay is a nursery for all of the rockfish that breed and lay eggs in the river estuaries in the upper/mid bay region in the Spring.
Those juvenile rockfish inhabit this area for several years as they feed and grow in the region before joining the migratory schools. They are what we call our "resident fish" which are largely schoolies aka under sized fish. There are certainly some larger resident fish that are caught during the summer in the mid to upper 20" range and even sometimes 30" fish. However I would guesstimate based on my personal experience and other first hand accounts is that the majority of the fish caught during the summer fall within that 15" to 18" range and under the min size limit, hence why all of these fish are returned to the water, water that is +/-80 degrees which leads to a very high mortality rate. So anglers continue to fish until they finally catch their 2 fish per person limit, but in doing so probably release more than 2 dozen fish to get there, the majority of which according to statistics are likely to die.
These juvenile fish are the future breeders and stock. The rules in place are counterintuitive and fly in the face of preserving and growing the stock in the face of the depleting biomass rockfish rely on as a primary food source, as well as the rockfish discard from bycatch.
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Post by hookedup on Aug 8, 2020 14:19:36 GMT -5
Wow. Just looked up the Maryland regs. I thought Virginia regulations were crazy, but Maryland outdid them. Both have a 1 fish a day limit.
Our best striper are now caught at night off Cape Charles using eels at various heights and large bobbers to float them away from the boat. Some are still caught trolling, but most using the previous method. Just not worth the trouble to hang out in the cold at night and having to deal with eels. Last time I went I caught several sharks, had some blues chew up the eels, but never got a striper on the line. Didn't even try last season.
I'm hoping we can get back to having bird funnels over striper crushing baitfish (menhaden) as they migrate up the Chesapeake. It was really great picking them up coming out of the ocean and into shallow water in the bay. Never figured out how the birds didn't knock each other out going after the pieces the striper left. We would pick the birds up on radar miles away they were so thick. The striper moved fast, we'd troll and catch a few, then pull in the lines and drive up to where they'd moved, drop lines and do it again until we all were exhausted. As far as I could tell every striper we returned survived and we only kept them in the boat long enough to unhook. No swim bladder issue like we have with drums.
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Post by fishnfool on Aug 9, 2020 16:44:42 GMT -5
The season will be closed all together the last two weeks of August. I can only hope the Spanish are still around then.
Then it's back to 1 fish per person over 19" - remember you may have to go through throw back a dozen or more 17" to 18" fish to find that 19" unless you are lucky enough to land on a school of larger fish. A large percentage of those throwbacks wont make it. As for the regulators, supid is as stupid does.
We used to get chopper bluefish blitzes up near the bay bridge, not anymore. I can only conclude they arent as prevalent up this way anymore because the giant schools of menhaden dont make it up here anymore - thanks Omega! We see some schools of taylor blues mixed in with resident rockfish during the summer but large blue fish seem to be a thing of the past for us.
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Post by hookedup on Aug 9, 2020 23:01:32 GMT -5
Guess all we can do is hope that some of the new activity by ASMFC provides some better protection for the menhaden. At least this year's quota is smaller and as a foreign owned company Omega has much more at risk if they go over quota.
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Post by hookedup on Oct 23, 2020 16:15:47 GMT -5
It doesn't change the Chesapeake Bay quota but it's a step in the right direction. Let's hope 10% more menhaden will mean more striper down the road: chesapeakebaymagazine.com/atlantic-menhaden-harvest-cut-10-percent/I was looking at some pictures now 10 years old and if it weren't for the pictures I'd forget how good it used to be. I didn't mind the frozen reels and ice on the windshield after reeling in and releasing large stripers until my arms were tired. It didn't happen every time we went out, but often enough. I look forward to seeing bird funnels pointing out the feeding stripers and racing to where we thought they were headed and dropping stretch lures, mojos, umbrella rigs and anything else we thought they'd like. I do hope Virginia has the sense to remove citations for weighed striper and only give citations for length of released fish this time around. Knowing the difference in large striper taste and texture I'll stick with small striper for food and large striper for the challenge.
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