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Menhaden Compromise Draws Angry Attacks From Recreational Fishing Groups

  • Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission commissioners voted 11-7 to adopt a phased reduction in menhaden quotas rather than maintaining the status quo or implementing deeper cuts.
  • The approved coastwide catch limit is set at 170,000 metric tons for 2027 and 155,000 metric tons for 2028, representing approximately 9% and 17% reductions from the 2026 quota.
  • Maine delegate Megan Ware proposed the compromise to balance scientific projections with economic consequences for New England bait fisheries, while Virginia delegate Adele McClure's proposal to keep the existing quota failed.
  • The commission's assessment confirms Atlantic menhaden are not overfished, but the lower fishing mortality target remains a management objective to support ecological needs.
  • Recreational fishing groups including the Forage Fish Campaign, American Saltwater Guides Association, and Menhaden Defenders criticized the decision, accusing the board of protecting foreign-owned Omega Protein and disregarding science.
  • The article challenges accusations of foreign corporate bias by noting that advocacy groups like the International Game Fish Association and American Saltwater Guides Association receive sponsorship from international entities such as Yamaha, Costa Sunglasses, and Daiwa.
  • Commercial fishing unions including UFCW Local 400 and civil rights organizations like the NAACP Virginia State Conference and Southern Christian Leadership Conference urged protection of working families and rural communities dependent on the fishery.
  • Virginia commissioner Joseph Grist highlighted a disconnect in how economic consequences were weighed, noting that the striped bass board previously considered severe economic impacts when rejecting a reduction.
  • The final vote saw Maine and Virginia join other delegations in supporting the compromise after rejecting both the status quo and a Massachusetts proposal for deeper successive cuts.
Company
American Small Pelagics Network
Keywords
Industrial & Manufacturing, Environmental, Social and Governance