Joseph L. von Rosenberg III
President and C.E.O.
Omega Protein
1717 St. James Place, Suite 550
Houston, TX 77056
August 9, 2005
Dear Mr. von Rosenberg:
I'm writing once again to express concern about your fishing
practices in the Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic coast. As I
informed you in my letter of July 18th, Greenpeace has joined
several fishing and environmental organizations in calling for a
coastwide moratorium on the Atlantic menhaden reduction fishery.
We are very concerned about the health of the Chesapeake Bay, as
well as the downward trend of Atlantic menhaden populations. Of
particular concern is Omega Protein's concentrated fishing effort
in the Chesapeake Bay, the most important nursery area for the
species. As you are aware, menhaden fill many key ecological
roles, most importantly as filter feeders and as a source of food
for fish and other wildlife.
Over the last month, Greenpeace representatives attended all
twelve public hearings that were held up and down the Atlantic
coast to gather public input regarding regulatory management of
fishing for menhaden. The number and diversity of people that
attended these hearings was remarkable to say the least. From
Maine to Georgia, people expressed deep concern for healthy
ecosystems, adequate management of menhaden populations, and the
impact of industrial reduction fishing. Many noted that the
current plight of menhaden recalls the Atlantic herring fishery
collapse several years ago. Overall, these public hearings
demonstrate widespread support for taking significant steps to
ensure healthy menhaden populations for the future.
In our previous letter to you, we raised our concern about Omega
Protein's efforts to maximize its catch of menhaden regardless of
the cost to coastal ecosystems or the people who depend upon them.
We also noted the chilling effect that Omega's frequent threats of
legal action have had on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission. The attendance and conduct of your lawyers at
technical committee meetings and workshops appears to be an attempt
to intimidate scientists and influence their recommendations. This
prevents the free and open exchange necessary to effectively manage
our nation's fisheries, and cannot be allowed to continue
unanswered.
Omega Protein subverts the regulatory process by securing
proxies to the Menhaden Board of the ASMFC, thus allowing the
company to directly influence management decisions. Your paid
representative consistently votes on issues that directly impact
Omega Protein, in clear violation of conflict of interest standards
and the widely and deeply held ethics of the United States of
America. While we recognize your right as stakeholders to have a
voice at public hearings, Greenpeace opposes your efforts to unduly
influence regulations and to obscure what should be a transparent
process that involves all stakeholders in an equitable manner.
While Omega has been able to thus far bully the Atlantic States
Marine Fisheries Commission into letting you vacuum up as much
menhaden as you like, we are confident that the Commission will
finally move to limit the catch at their meeting next week. In the
meantime, Greenpeace activists and boats will be in the Chesapeake
to peacefully protect menhaden from being decimated by factory
fishing. Given the critical role that menhaden serve as filter
feeders and as food for everything from striped bass to humpback
whales, the ecosystem cannot afford further depletion of this
keystone species.
We welcome the opportunity to discuss this further. It is our
hope that you will follow through on your stated desire for a
healthy Bay and to cooperate with the more than 15,000 people who
are seeking a coastwide moratorium on factory fishing for menhaden
by voluntarily suspending your operations. We also ask that you
cease your efforts to unduly influence the management of this vital
resource.
Sincerely,
John Passacantando
Executive Director