About a dozen people showed up for the meeting Sept. 28 at the Cape May County Library to hear “Menhaden Defenders: Restoring the Atlantic’s Most Important Fish” with Capt. Paul Eidman and to learn more about the proposed changes to Menhaden catch regulations. Unfortunately, as we found out when we got there, the meeting was cancelled.
Captain Eidman represents the ‘Menhaden Defenders.’ According to the information on their Web site (www.menhaden defenders.org) ‘the population of the Atlantic Menhaden is crashing’ citing a 2010 Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) ‘stock assessment that determined that the population is at record low levels.’ They (and other reports I have read) are concerned about the impact this would have on the entire ecosystem of the Atlantic. “Game fish (including stripers) are beginning to show signs of malnourishment; as well as weakfish and osprey who also rely on the bunker for food.“ The Menhaden Defenders actively support putting a hard limit on the amount of fish taken from the waters by commercial/industrial companies. (The only state still allowing the vacuum pump method of sucking these fish out of the water is Virginia.)
Jeff Kaelin from Lund’s Fisheries was at the library and handed out a ‘Fact Sheet’ put together by the Garden State Seafood Association, Greg DiDomenico, executive director. Their position is that the stock is not being over fished and is not in danger. The paper says that “while the 2010 stock assessment indicated that fishing effort barely exceeded the overfishing threshold by 0.4 percent; in 2008 over fishing was not occurring during the previous nine years, 1999-2007. This assessment also determined that the…spawning stock was at two times its target level of abundance.”
A few years ago, I wrote a lengthy article for this paper on the Menhaden Industry in Cape May County. Serious questions were being raised then and my notes indicate that no-one from the agencies involved then were given the OK to talk with me. Looks like the Menhaden are finally getting some real attention.
The Menhaden Management Board which is currently taking public comment, will finalize and adopt amendments to the Interstate Menhaden Fishery Management Plan at their November meeting for implementation in the 2012 fishing season. I’ll keep you informed.
On a local note, Grassy Sound Marina has seen some unusual catches of blowfish caught off the pier, on clams during incoming tide. Snapper blues and sea bass are being caught in abundance and some stripers during incoming tide on cut mullet off the pier. Tog are near the sod banks and there are reports of trigger fish in Grassy Sound. Mullet and spearing are plentiful in the back bay.
Eric Delellis, Aston, Pa. went home with a bucket full of snapper blues caught during incoming tide off the pier and Greg White, Court House, is catching stripers near the marina late at night and early morning.
Like some other captains, Captain Chuck (Sea Star III), he’ll be staying at the dock until the stripers arrive. This is a good time to catch up on any chores you’ve neglected so you’ll be ready to get out on the water when the big guys come in.
Send your fishing reports and pictures to cmiller@cmcherald.com. All pictures submitted, if they don’t make it in the print version, can be seen on the Herald’s Web site www.cmcherald.com, click on community, then fishing and boating.
Wildwood – So Liberals here on spout off, here's a REAL question for you.
Do you think it's appropriate for BLM to call for "Burning down the city" and "Black Vigilantes" because…
