Menhaden Muddle #33

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE MENHADEN BOARD

Now that the goals for increasing abundance have been established, the problem of changing management methods to achieve the goals becomes paramount. Amendment1 states ASMFC's objectives for managing the fishery are “to manage the menhaden fishery in a manner that is biologically, economically,socially and ecologically sound, while protecting the resource and those who benefit from it.” Up to this point in time, all the discussion relating to menhaden has revolved about abundance, or lack thereof, of the stock and whether present practices are sufficient to have a sustainable fishery. Recent action has answered that question and is detailed in Addendum5. Moving forward, the Board must address the broader issues included in the management objectives set forth in Amendment1. Of particular concern are the areas involving economic and social effects.

At the February meeting the Board is to approve a public information document (PID) to be used to gauge public opinion on proposed changes. If the public is to have any serious input, the PID has to provide adequate background information. One of the items to be addressed is how deep the reduction in harvest must be to reach the goals over different time spans. If no information is provided that quantifies the extent of harvest reduction in real time is made available in the PID there cannot be an intelligent public response. Previous PIDs have frequently been lacking in quantifiable information to make the process work, hopefully this one will be different.

Another area of great concern is allocation. Clearly this is a Board decision for which public input will be sought. Hopefully the PID will outline what options are available. For example, some of the rhetoric floating about suggests that the two segments of the commercial fishery, bait and reduction, should share equally in harvest cuts. To do so would wreak havoc on the bait industry while having little effect on the reduction industry. The public needs to understand the effects of allocation quantities in order to make reasonable recommendations.

Allocation determinations are critical to the economic and social effects generated by them. PIDs typically have been quite sparse in this area. The economic fallout is arguably the most important consideration particularly to those whose income is dependent on the amount of business available. For reasons beyond the writer's comprehension the economic considerations involved in fishery management receive minimal attention. If one expects sound decisions in the revised management methods to achieve the goals of stock restoration, considerably more attention to the economic effects need to be considered. This clearly is a responsibility of the Board and they should be held accountable for the results of their deliberations