Protect Chesapeake Bay: Save the Menhaden
Virginia Governor Tim Kaine will soon make a decision that will impact the entire ecosystem health of Chesapeake Bay, the biggest estuary in North America and the third largest in the world.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission recently decided to cap the industrial harvest of menhaden, to protect the species while research is conducted into the impact of the bay harvest on striped bass and other menhaden predators.
Often called the most important fish in the sea, menhaden are a vital source of food for a wide variety of fish including striped bass and bluefish, and are crucial to the businesses and local economies that these fisheries support. Second only to oysters, menhaden act as a filter for bay waters, feeding on plankton and decaying plant matter.
Alarmingly, recent studies indicate the overall number of menhaden is near historic lows.
Governor Kaine is currently deciding whether or not to implement the Atlantic States Fisheries CommissionÂ’s decision. If the Governor does not take action, Virginia could be found out of compliance by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, triggering a potential moratorium on the entire menhaden fishery.
This issue is about more than one species of fish, itÂ’s about an entire ecosystem in jeopardy. Please tell Virginia Governor Tim Kaine that menhaden matter and to implement the cap.
Dear Governor Kaine:
We urge you to act as soon as possible to implement the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) decision to cap the industrial harvest of menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay. The cap, which is based on sound science, will maintain the catch at recent levels - therefore no jobs will be lost - while the status of menhaden’s ecological role is examined. Often called the most important fish in the sea, menhaden are a key food source for striped bass and other sport and commercial fish as well as a filter for bay waters.
[your comment here]
Your leadership in implementing this critical conservation measure would recognize the important role that 60 years of interstate cooperation have played in protecting Virginia’s marine resources and the value that a healthy Chesapeake Bay brings to the state’s economy and quality of life. Please act today.
Sincerely,
[your name]
