Thanks to you and more than 91,000 other concerned members of the public, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission passed a precedent-setting conservation measure to protect menhaden.
But now comes the next, and more difficult step in the process the one where the ASMFC actually figures out how they are going to do it.
Massive companies, like Omega Protein, want to see business continue as usual and are using their influence to push the Commission to delay action for up to another ten years. We’ve come too far already to let that happen.
Menhaden has been overfished for more than 50 years, and the population is at an all-time low. Further delays could spell disaster for the species as well as the entire Atlantic coastal ecosystem.
Companies aren’t concerned about the long term health of our oceans. All they care about are short term profits. It’s up to us to protect this important species and the ecosystem that relies on it.
If the Commission can make a decision before this October, there will be a solid plan in place before the 2013 fishing season begins. That would give menhaden populations a chance to bounce back in just three years.
Thanks for speaking up for one of the most vital fish in the Atlantic ecosystem!
— Phil Kline, Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner
