In early August, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) will decide whether to adopt a new strategy for menhaden management. Currently, menhaden are assessed and managed as a single species: Scientists assess the status of the stock in comparison with pre-established levels, or reference points, for fishing mortality (harvest) and stock size, and then decide how much fish can be harvested. The proposed new strategy would shift how those reference points are calculated by accounting for menhaden’s critical ecosystem role as a prey species.
LINK (via: American Saltwater Guides Association)
