Boston, MA — On November 9th 2011 the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), a coalition of 15 Atlantic coast states that sets commercial catch limits and coordinates interstate conservation efforts, voted overwhelmingly to cut the yearly commercial quota of menhaden (also known as bunker or pogy) by more than a third. 

After lobbying by scientists, conservationists and angling groups including Bass Pro Shops and the American Sportfishing Association, the ASMFC conducted an assessment study in 2010 that confirmed menhaden were being significantly over-fished. The Commission’s action raises the target level for the amount of menhaden that must remain in the ocean, known as the maximum spawning potential, from 8% to 30%: which means commercial interests are still permitted to take 70% of the stock each year. 

The menhaden fishery is concentrated in the waters around Chesapeake Bay and is dominated by a single company, Omega Protein, which annually processes in the region of 80% of the entire Atlantic catch (Omega hauled in 183,000 metric tons of menhaden in 2010). The remaining 20% is taken by the bait industry for crab and lobster traps and angler’s bait. Though considered inedible by humans, menhaden have the misfortune of being particularly high in omega 3 fish oils and are caught to be rendered for use as fertilizer, lubricant, animal feed and popular dietary supplements.

Widely accepted as a keystone species in the nearshore Atlantic ecosystem, menhaden are vital forage in one way or another for striped bass, bluefish, weakfish, sea trout, many seabirds and marine mammals. Whether they realize it or not, freshwater anglers have a real stake in these developments too: studies have shown, and several European countries can bear witness to the fact, that declining levels of forage fish in nearshore saltwater environments pushes large predatory seabirds such as cormorants inland to freshwater lakes where they can decimate prized fisheries.