MD Scientists: Harvests Not Stressing Menhaden Populations

[junebug007]

Chesapeake Bay Program Scientists Confirm Menhaden Harvests are Not Harming the Chesapeake Bay

In their Preview of the State of the Bay Restoration and Protection Efforts and State of Bay Health, Chesapeake Bay Program [CBP] scientists confirm that menhaden harvests are not harming the Chesapeake Bay. According to the CBP report, "The single hottest fisheries issue over the last year is the menhaden harvest. Our best science says harvest is not stressing the population. While some feel otherwise, that is the conclusion the data supports." The report also indicates that burgeoning striped bass populations may be overpopulating the Bay. According to the CBP report, "A strong argument can be made that we have too many small striped bass in the Bay and that is causing disease, starvation, and forage fish problems."

Excerpts from the CBP Report are available online:

http://www.menhaden.org/MONSC.pdf

[manfromva]

Hey Junebug,
Just wondering what numbers they were using. It could be very deceiving using metric tons. Here are a few numbers to look at that sound far worse than 100,000 metric tons.

Using a 100,000 metric tons
a metric ton is = to 2204.62 lbs
therefore that would equal 220,462,000 lbs caught in a year (less than the average of the last five)
minus the 1 % bycatch of 2,204,620 lbs (which sounds like a lot put that way)
equals 198,415,800 lbs left of pure menhaden
if each fish weighed 1.5 lbs that would equal
132,277,200 menhaden landed
at 1 lb of course it would be 198,415,800 menhaden landed
if each fish weighed .5 lbs that would equal 396,831,600 menhaden landed

Now if 70% comes out of the chesapeake bay as Omega says and they each weighed in a 1 lb(remember 198,415,800 menhaden)
then the total menhaden harvested in the bay would be
138,891,060.
That's just omega..not including predation, disease, and natural causes.
Sounds liike localized depletion to me.
when was the last time you saw that much bait in the bay

Now if we let omega set their quota at 131,000 metric tons
that equals 288,805,220 lbs
minus the 1% bycatch
2,888,052.2 lbs
leaving 285,917,167.8 lbs left
If the 70% still applied saying that they actually could catch that much in year and each fish weighed 1 lb
It would equal 200,142,017.46 menhaden landed.


Feel free to correct me if my numbers are in error. Remember also that the atlantic menhaden fishery only lands 25% of the total menhaden landings in the U.S. The gulf takes the other 75%

Name any other species that can survive that much pressure.

[Capt.Nick]

I feel much better now that we know the truth.BTW Does their pay come from our taxes?

[goose70]

Yes. It's whatever the taxpayers pay to deal with that portion of reduced water quality caused by the large reduction in filter feeders, plus the lost tax revenue from the Chesapeake falling well short of it's sportfishing destination potential due to the lack of forage for sportfish.

[Sea Gristle]

[Q]junebug007 originally wrote:
Our best science says harvest is not stressing the population.
[/Q]

The BAY population? What does the ASFMC say about CBP's "best available science"? I find it curious that ASFMC didn't take it into consideration when determining the need for a cap and further study of localized depletion. More likely that "best available" was "of questionable scientific value".

[Sea Gristle]

CBP - you mean those guys who work for our state government, appointed by those noble elected servants of the Commonwealth who don't give a rat$ a$$ about the bay and are politically beholden to a major contributor?

Oh yeah, that's some science I would have some faith in...

[scotty80]

JB, here is a little counter propaganda,

Virginia Assembly Rejects Menhaden Conservation Measures
January 27, 2006 PDF Print Version

Richmond, VA - In a stunning decision yesterday, the Chesapeake Subcommittee of the House of Delegates voted to reject a cap on the industrial harvest of menhaden from the Chesapeake Bay as mandated by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). The measure, adopted last fall by the ASMFC, would have capped the effort of the menhaden fleet at an average of the last five year’s harvest while studies were conducted to determine if the commercial operations are causing localized depletion of the important forage fish.

“The decision by the Virginia state legislature sets up an unnecessary confrontation with the federal government and puts the continued operation of the entire menhaden industry at risk,� said John Bello, chairman of Coastal Conservation Association Virginia (CCA VA).

Under the Coastal Cooperative Act, the ASMFC has little choice but to certify the state of Virginia as out of compliance with its menhaden plan and proceed with a closure of the entire fishery. The potential closure would not take effect before July 1, but if it is instituted at that time, the Virginia legislature will be out of session and unable to prevent the shutdown of the fishery.

“It is disappointing that the industry and the subcommittee apparently were not concerned that their decision puts all the employees of the reduction industry and the bait fishery at risk. In our testimony before the subcommittee we stressed the consequences of rejecting this basic conservation measure,� said David Nobles, chairman of CCA Virginia’s Government Relations Committee. “It is frustrating that they chose to ignore the realities of the situation.�

CCA VA supports the harvest cap which was designed to allow the reduction industry to continue operations while scientists develop a clearer picture of the impact of the harvest on the health of the Bay’s ecosystem. Evidence has indicated that the intense harvest of menhaden in the Bay is creating a localized depletion of the primary forage fish for a host of species important to commercial and sport fishermen. The Chesapeake Bay is the spawning ground for at least 80 percent of all Atlantic striped bass and that species in particular has shown signs of malnutrition and disease that could be linked to insufficient numbers of menhaden.

“We have maintained since the beginning of this debate that the intent of the harvest cap was not to put the industry out of business,� said David Hickman, executive director of CCA VA. “The cap would have allowed them to catch almost 106,000 metric tons per year, which is the average of the last five year’s harvest. The industry felt it could not live even with that modest restriction. Now the legislature and the industry leadership have chosen a course of action that will either weaken fishery management by the ASMFC or result in the closure of the reduction fishery by the federal government. Neither of those options is good for the resource or for the citizens of Virginia.�

CCA will ask the ASMFC to initiate the process of enforcing the cap at the Commission’s meeting in February.

###

Coastal Conservation Association is a national organization of 90,000 members in 15 state chapters. CCA’s mission is to advise and educate the public on conservation of marine resources. The objective of CCA is to conserve, promote and enhance the present and future availability of these coastal resources for the benefit and enjoyment of the general public.

[manfromva]

hey junebug,
I really don't like to keep bugging you but here is another little tidbit of information.

But as filter feeders an adult menhaden 3 years and older can filter 4 gallons of water per minute or over 100 million gallons in 180 days. And that is just one menhaden

Now talk about localized pollution

so let me know if my math is right

if a omega takes 70% locally of their average 100,000 metric tons

minus their bycatch and each fish weighed 1.5 lbs
132,277,200 menhaden and let's they can each can filter 1920 gallons of water a day (I calculated an 8 hour day since they may have some child labor laws that won't let them filter for a full 24 hours)(8x60x4)
that would equal 254,171,124,000 gallons a day
(remember this is only one third of what they really can filter)

someone care to add up how much water just omega's share of menhaden can filter in 180 days....because even if they weren't caught they may not stay here due to migration

[Sea Gristle]

And how much that filtration would cost to replace by upgrading water treatment plants. And how much each taxpayer must pony up to pay for it.

Which, now that I think of it, is nothing. Didn't the VAGA decide not to fund the bay cleanup this session? [sad]

[junebug007]

[Q]manfromva originally wrote:
hey junebug,
I really don't like to keep bugging you but here is another little tidbit of information.

But as filter feeders an adult menhaden 3 years and older can filter 4 gallons of water per minute or over 100 million gallons in 180 days. And that is just one menhaden

Now talk about localized pollution

so let me know if my math is right

if a omega takes 70% locally of their average 100,000 metric tons

minus their bycatch and each fish weighed 1.5 lbs
132,277,200 menhaden and let's they can each can filter 1920 gallons of water a day (I calculated an 8 hour day since they may have some child labor laws that won't let them filter for a full 24 hours)(8x60x4)
that would equal 254,171,124,000 gallons a day
(remember this is only one third of what they really can filter)

someone care to add up how much water just omega's share of menhaden can filter in 180 days....because even if they weren't caught they may not stay here due to migration
[/Q]
Omega catches alot of fish... what's your point? Your posts ignore the fact that scientists estimate the total menhaden population at over 400 BILLION. Thus, commercial fishermen only remove approximately only 2 out of every 1,000 menhaden from their population. Need those extra 2 fish, as well, do you?

As for water filtration, yep, menhaden collectively 'filter' alot of water. Again, what's your point?