BoatBanter.com - Chesapeake Bay help needed

Dear rec.boaters!

The MSSA, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and the Department of Natural Resources have been leaders in
changing the way menhaden is managed. But it is your efforts that really make a difference and we
are asking you once again to take one minute of your time and send an email to help Save the
Menhaden. Comment period ends Friday, Nov 16!

Send An Email....It's Easy

Below is a letter that describes what the MSSA believes must happen to ensure our striped bass and
other valuable fisheries have the food they need.

Step 1:
Copy & Paste the letter below in an email, or, better yet, modify as you wish to personalize
same.

Step 2:
Email to
Subject Line: Draft Addendum 2

Letter to Copy & Paste

Mike Waine
Subject: Draft Addendum 2
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
1050 N. Highland Street, #200 A-N
Arlington, VA 22201

Dear Mr. Waine,

Atlantic menhaden play critical roles in the ecosystem of the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic coastal
waters. They feed on plankton and detritus, converting these vast food sources into rich nutrition
for a wide variety of valuable fish, including striped bass, bluefish, and summer flounder, as well
as for blue crabs, marine mammals, and water birds like ospreys, pelicans, and loons. In recent
years, though, research has shown that menhaden have declined dramatically as a component in the
diet of striped bass. Scientists have linked poor nutrition to wasting disease in these iconic and
valuable fish.

The decline in the menhaden population necessitates that both ASMFC and the Maryland Department of
Natural Resources take action. Evidence clearly indicates that menhaden are no longer able to
fulfill their ecological role, which is so important here in the Chesapeake Bay region. Without a
turnaround in the population, there is a serious chance for further declines in the health of
striped bass, ospreys, and other Bay creatures that have depended on them for centuries, as well as
the bait fishery and all of the other fisheries that population supports.

The Maryland Sal****er Sportfishing Association (MSSA) strongly endorses the following
recommendations:
" (Section 2.5) ASFMC should adopt Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB) Option B which will set a
SSB target of 30% MSP and threshold of 15% MSP.
" (Section 2.6.2) ASFMC should adopt Option C to reduce the Current F to at least the target F
in a timeframe that shall be no longer than 5 years.
" (Section 4.2.1) ASMFC should adopt Option B in order to set harvest levels through use of a
total allowable catch (TAC).
" (Section 4.2.1.2) ASMFC should adopt Option A which specifies setting a TAC through an
ad-hoc approach. The multiplier used should be 0.75 and the future allocations should be 30% bait
and 70% reduction.
" (Section 4.2.2) ASMFC should adopt Option C to adjust the Chesapeake Bay Cap consistent with
quota management.
Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,