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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 35 Number 5
January 2008
RI brings together menhaden stakeholders to talk
NARRAGANSETT, RI – The morning of the Menhaden Science and Policy Symposium here on Nov. 30 offered attendees a wealth of information on the history, feeding practices, filter rates, and lifestyle of the highly valued baitfish known locally as pogies.
A migratory fish, menhaden has been the center of controversy in Rhode Island for some time, with commercial fishermen increasingly having to counter demands to shut down the fishery.
The problem boils down to this. The lobster and other commercial fisheries depend on supplies of menhaden for bait. The recreational fishing sector believes menhaden should be preserved as food for sport fish. And everyone fears stock depletion.
The symposium, which was organized by the Sustainable Fisheries Extension Program of Rhode Island Sea Grant, gave all parties an opportunity to tell their side of the story and allowed state officials to encourage members of the public to talk to each other.
Department of Environmental Management (DEM) Director Michael Sullivan kicked off the symposium with a short speech that encouraged everyone in attendance to listen to the experts before coming to any conclusions, and to work together to make responsible decisions.
According to scientists Kevin Friedland of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Ted Durbin of the University of Rhode Island (URI), and Brad Spear of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), menhaden are not overfished.
Yet, although menhaden stocks are at healthy sustainable levels in Atlantic waters, there isn’t enough data to make a blanket statement about how plentiful menhaden are in every nook and cranny of coastal waterways, and that includes Narragansett Bay.
The data scientists do have are sometimes difficult to assess because menhaden levels are always changing as schools of the migratory fish move up and down the coastline.
Good communication
While the morning was grounded in the facts regarding menhaden, the afternoon sessions gave stakeholders the opportunity to state their concerns, offer suggestions, and participate in discussions.
Flaxen Conway of Oregon Sea Grant began with a talk titled “People, Perspectives, and Their Importance in Fisheries Management.”
She encouraged everyone to consider the social aspects and connections among the sectors of the community and how the different sectors interplay.
“The success of the fishery impacts the well-being of the community at large,” she said, explaining that families, retailers, distributors, marinas, and support businesses all depend on the people involved to work with government and each other to keep the resource healthy.
Following Conway’s talk, state Sen. Susan Sosnowski (D-District 6) and state Rep. Jan Malik (D-District 67) offered brief comments. Sosnowski emphasized the importance of people participating in legislative efforts and encouraged good communication between the various government agencies and the industry and within the industry.
“With good dialogue, we can understand the needs of the entire community,” she said.
Agreeing with Sullivan, Malik urged everyone to listen to the experts.
“We have a tremendous resource of fisheries experts,” he said. “The University of Rhode Island has one of the best wildlife and fisheries programs in the world. We have highly qualified oceanographers and environmentalists right at our doorstep. Listen to what they have to say. If we listen, responsible decisions can be made.”
Stakeholder perspectives
During the “Listening and Sharing” session, participants were asked to answer specific questions, such as “What does Rhode Island need to do?” and “Who is part of the decision-making process?”
The distinct positions on this controversial issue, however, were best reflected during the “Stakeholder Perspectives” portion of the program.
Symposium attendees heard from several panelists, including: Rich Hittinger of the Rhode Island Salt Water Anglers Association; Lanny Dellinger, president of the Rhode Island Lobstermen’s Association; Rich Fuka, president of the Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance; Chris Brown, president of the Rhode Island Commercial Fishermen’s Association; Diane Souza, a representative of Ark Bait, a well-established Swansea, MA-based company that fishes for menhaden in Narragansett Bay; and John Torgan of Save the Bay.
Bait fishery
Lanny Dellinger said that his lobstermen’s group fully supported DEM’s decision to step forward last spring and summer to monitor the commercial menhaden bait fishery in Narragansett Bay.
“While we are concerned that the daily limits (75,000 pounds) were established without sufficient regard for certain market conditions, we appreciate the collaborative research approach DEM has taken,” he said. “Working with and sampling commercial fishing operations in Narragansett Bay, including aerial surveys by commercial spotter pilots, has proved to be very effective and beneficial in giving DEM information it needs to ensure that the Atlantic menhaden population is not overfished.”
He added that the lobstermen’s association hoped DEM would continue to work on menhaden issues with commercial and recreational fishing interests in Rhode Island and other coastal states through the existing ASMFC interstate fishery management process.
On the local level, Dellinger urged everyone to keep in mind the impact of environmental degradation on fish stocks.
“If we want the menhaden to do well, we must reduce the flow of nitrogen into Narragansett Bay,” he said.
Diane Souza pointed out that Ark Bait has been providing baitfish to lobstermen for over 30 years.
“We know better than to just concentrate on fishing in one area. We have never and would never attempt to clean out all the baitfish in the bay,” she said.
Souza added that only a small portion of the bait her company sells is actually harvested from Narragansett Bay.
“We provide a service that is necessary for the industry to exist,” she said. “Without bait, the industry would die.”
Rec perspective
Rich Hittinger, who holds a master’s degree in chemical oceanography, said his organization, the Salt Water Anglers Association, wanted to see menhaden preserved as food for sport fish species.
He added that doing so would benefit commercially important species, as well.
“Preservation (of menhaden) will discourage predator fish from eating crabs, lobsters, and other valuable species,” said Hittinger.
Biodiversity
Chris Brown observed that menhaden represents a distinct challenge for state officials given the diversity of the stakeholders.
“We should strive to complement the current sustainability of the fishery through responsible stewardship of the resource for the duration of its stay in our waters,” he said.
At the same time, Brown rejected the idea that menhaden are more important than any other fishery resource because of the nature of biodiversity.
“Our goal should be to ensure an overall balance and survival of all species without establishing favor for one over another based on our own perceptions of need and value,” he said. “If we want to accomplish anything we must continue meaningful dialogue.”
Flexibility
Rich Fuka emphasized the need for a better understanding of the socioeconomic and biological importance of all species harvested in Rhode Island before citizens and officials can begin to effectively support the commercial fishing industry and its delicate infrastructure.
This only can be achieved by allowing fisheries biologists, managers, and harvesters to do their jobs unimpeded by inflexible regulations, he said.
“The state of Rhode Island does not need to create additional legislation to further cripple the commercial fishing industry, or, for that matter, the recreational fishing sector,” Fuka said.
“Allow the experts to do their jobs and make responsible fishery management decisions and adjustments as they are needed, and the fishery, as well as the entire fishing community, will do better than survive – it will flourish,” he concluded.
Next steps
Division of Fish and Wildlife biologist Jason McNamee said that the original emergency regulations imposed earlier in 2007 that expired after 120 days had proved to be effective and likely would be put forward as a proposed permanent rule at a February public hearing.
The program, the methodology of which he credited Mark Gibson, F&W deputy chief, with developing, sets a cap of 50% of the standing stock in Narragansett Bay that can be harvested before the fishery is closed. The level of stock is assessed using spotter planes, floating fish traps, and fishery landings. A complex formula is then used to calculate the level of stock at any given time.
But budget cuts, which are affecting all areas of state government, could make effective implementation of the program difficult.”
“It takes a minimum of three to four people supervising the count at all times,” said McNamee.
Sam Bari
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