Atlantic and Gulf Fishermen Call for an End to Industrial Forage Fishing
On behalf of the recreational and commercial fishermen, fishing organizations and fishing-related businesses below, we call on all elected officials and decision-makers at the local, state, and national levels to end industrial-scale fishing for forage fish – such as menhaden, herring, and mackerel – in the Atlantic and Gulf of America.
These small fish are the foundation of healthy fisheries and strong coastal economies. Forage fish are what the recreational and commercial species we fish for eat. Striped bass, bluefish, tuna, redfish, tarpon, weakfish, cod, and flounder need healthy forage fish populations. They are also critical bait for commercial and recreational fishermen, including for our iconic lobster and crab fisheries. Seabirds, whales and dolphins depend on forage fish, too.
When forage fish are abundant, Atlantic and Gulf fisheries, ecosystems, and coastal economies thrive. Recreational fishing supports millions of American jobs and pumps billions of dollars into local economies through charter and party boats, tackle shops, marinas, and travel-related spending for transportation, hotels and restaurants. When managed responsibly, forage fish help sustain commercially valuable fish populations, fishermen, good-paying jobs, robust coastal economies, and a steady supply of healthy seafood.
Harvesting forage fish at industrial scales is wasteful and the impacts ripple through the food web, directly undermining our fisheries. Industrial reduction fishing uses spotter planes, chase-boats, and factory ships that scoop up huge schools of menhaden to turn them into meal and oil for pet food, salmon farms, and livestock feed. Industrial midwater trawlers tow massive nets that catch fish at unsustainable rates -- they crashed herring and mackerel stocks and massive bycatch has left river herring and shad at historic low levels.
Industrial forage fishing benefits a small number of foreign-controlled companies, leaving recreational and commercial fishermen, and coastal communities to deal with the economic and ecological fallout.
We are asking you, our elected officials and fisheries decision-makers, to:
End industrial-scale reduction fishing and midwater trawling for forage fish in the Atlantic and Gulf of America.
Prioritize forage fish as bait either left in the water for recreational gamefish and commercially valuable species, and to supply lobstermen and crabbers.
Enforce laws and policies ensuring forage fish are managed to benefit U.S. citizens.
Protecting forage fish for bait and their natural role in marine ecosystems is one of the fastest and most effective ways to help rebuild gamefish and commercial fish populations, improve fishing, help struggling lobster and crab fishermen, strengthen local economies, and keep our coastal waters healthy for future generations.
Sincerely,