Federal regulators have approved a compromise proposed by Maine’s delegation to reduce the total catch limit of Menhaden along the east coast.
The Maine Monitor reports that the fish, also known as bunker or pogies, are an ideal bait for lobstering due to cuts to herring quotas. The fish have also been the source of concern for its impacts on Atlantic striped bass and Ospreys; with both species suffering population declines over the past decade.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted to reduce the total menhaden catch limit this past week, with a 9% cut starting next year and a 17% cut in 2028. The current coastwide catch limit for menhaden is 186,840 metric tons, down from 233,550 last year.
But while the proposal is meant to be a compromise between fishermen and conservationists, some members of both sides still have their reservations. At a meeting on Nov. 10th, Portland-based New England Fish Company owner Suzannah Raber claimed that the limits would cause a bait shortage.
“The lobstermen very much need menhaden to survive. It accounts for a lot of their income now,” she said.
Meanwhile Tony Friedrich, president and policy director of the American Saltwater Guides Association, said that the catch limit that was ultimately approved “abandoned” the ecological framework of supporting other marine species. He also claimed the commission caved in to pressure from the commercial fishing industry, saying the organization has let other fisheries it managed collapse in the past, such as cod and Northern shrimp.
“If we just give Mother Nature a chance, things can come back unless you exploit them to a tipping point,” Friedrich said.
