.png){kind=small}
Enter your email to get
our latest news
Enter your email to get
our latest news
Petition
Sign the Petition to Protect Striped Bass AND Atlantic Menhaden.
Change in Striped bass regulations could allow Omega Protein to take more menhaden. Say NO WAY to an increased quota for the menhaden fishery, sign the petition TODAY!
.png){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
Elios Valmonte
Ben Moned
Maria Averon
Marc Anthony
Petition to be submitted by Menhaden Defenders on your behalf:
We call on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to postpone Amendment 7 to the Striped Bass Management Plan until a benchmark stock assessment is complete. No scientific justification exists for any of the major changes being proposed. The current management plan is stronger than most ASMFC plans, with adequate targets, management triggers, and rebuilding timelines. The reason Striped bass are overfished is that the plan has not been implemented effectively, with fishing mortality too high to attain the spawning stock biomass target.
Instead of moving the goalposts with no scientific justification to do so, managers should focus on reducing fishing mortality. Amendment 7 to the striped bass management plan should be put on hold until the next benchmark stock assessment is ready for management use.
If managers ignore this advice and decide to move forward with Amendment 7, then we the undersigned call on the ASMFC to take the following actions:
1) Remove biological reference points from the Amendment. No scientific justification exists for any changes.
2) End reduction fishing for menhaden, especially in the Chesapeake Bay, the most important striped bass nursery on the East coast. More Menhaden left in the water = more striped bass.
3) Enhance ecosystem-based fishery management by connecting striped bass management to the management of menhaden and other forage species.
The new and visionary ecological management system for menhaden ties menhaden management to striped bass. If the striped bass reference points are lowered, a larger quota for the menhaden fishery is possible. We cannot let this happen. Please sign the petition below to let the ASMFC know you do not want to see any changes to striped bass management at this time.
Please consider making a donation to support our efforts.
.svg)