NO. 153 2017 INSIDE THIS ISSUE OCEAN VIEW: AT THE CROSSROADS 2 A BLUEPRINT FOR A VALUES-BASED Wild SWORDFISH FISHERY 3 MACKEREL MATTERS 4 STAFF TRAVEL LOG 7 CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTS BLUEFIN TUNA AND ITS MACKEREL PREY 7 NOAA LAUNCHES GULF The Horizon RESTORATION PROJECT 10 Changes Our Mission by Ken Hinman Things do not change. We change. Wild Oceans was founded by Henry David Thoreau anglers in 1973. Like the sportsmen before us who pioneered wildlife The intertwined worlds of billfish, conservation on land, we are passionate protectors of fish and billfishing and billfish conservation the wild world we share. have changed monumentally within my lifetime – quite literally. Our mission is to keep the oceans wild to preserve fishing opportuni- Photo courtesy of Bill Boyce I was born in 1952, the year Heming- ties for the future. To do this, we way’s Old Man and the Sea was pub- bring conservation-minded fisher- lished. For me, as for many Ameri- By the time McClane published his indis- pensable Field Guide to Saltwater Fishes men and pro-fishing environmen- cans, this classic tale of an epic battle talists together to promote a between an old Cuban fisherman and a of North America in 1965, the definition was firmly established as we know it to- broad, ecosystems approach to great blue marlin was my first introduc- fisheries management that re- tion to billfish. day. The Billfish family (Istiophoridae) comprises the marlins, sailfishes and flects our expanding circle of con- Back when I was a kid, few people knew spearfishes. Swordfish are a taxonomic cern for all marine life and the fu- what a “billfish” was, apparently even family unto themselves (Xiphiidae) but ture of fishing. experienced fishermen. Consider that are often included in billfish gatherings So much of what we love about the 1952 also saw publication of The Wise because of their shared attributes. They sea, about fish, about fishing, is in Fisherman’s Encyclopedia, edited by A.J. are all large-bodied marine creatures the wildness. But that wild world, McClane, renowned angler, writer and with a distinctive sword-like snout, and the future of fishing, now future IGFA Fishing Hall of Famer. You’ll swim very fast and very, very far, and sit hangs in the balance. Everything be surprised at his definition ofBillfish : atop the ocean food chain. we do, every decision we make, (1) Small, non-game fish species such as The sixties, a decade of revolution, saw must be guided by a clear vision of the needlefish, pipefish or salt water gar. big changes in more than taxonomy, the future we want for our oceans and of how the fishing public and (2) The name billfish is often erroneously changes that would determine the course of billfish conservation for de- responsible consumers will fit into applied to the marlin, sailfish and broad- that future. bill swordfish. These are more properly cades to follow. On the sport side, there classed as Spearfish. was the birth of a burgeoning conserva- tion movement. (Continued on page 8) P.O. Box 258, Waterford, VA 20197 WildOceans.org Ocean View At the crossroads On the long road to change, we encoun- a practicable approach to setting popu- The strongest argument against delay is ter twists and turns, roadblocks and de- lation targets and catch limits for forage the prospect of the fishery being man- tours. Right now, on the way to changing species like menhaden. It’s a common aged another 5 years or more using the the way we allocate Atlantic menhaden sense ‘rule of thumb’ based on the eco- current, single-species reference points, among fishermen and other predators in logical importance of prey fish and the which would allow for a more than 40% the ocean (e.g., striped bass), we are at impacts of fishing on predator-prey re- increase over current catch levels, result- a crossroads. lationships - a science-based approach ing in a loss of the growth in the menha- that accommodates the needs (if not den stock we’ve seen in recent years. For well over a decade, the ASMFC’s the wants) of the fishing industry and Menhaden Management Board has been With interim ERPs, we’ll keep reason- is ready to be implemented right away. stalled at the intersection of “the most able limits on the fishery, leaving millions It’s an approach we described in our 2015 important fish in the sea” and the largest more menhaden in the water for preda- report, Resource Sharing: The Berkeley commercial fishery on the east coast, un- tors while allowing fishing at sustainable Criterion: fishing limits designed to main- sure of where to go or how to get there. levels. tain the menhaden population at 75% of But finally we’re moving. The vehicle its un-fished level, considerably higher This is the choice being put to the public for change is Draft Amendment 3 to the than the conventional MSY level (~40%). in Amendment 3. Where will the Menha- Interstate Menhaden Plan - which offers den Board decide to go when it finalizes If adopted, these reference points would the public a choice between a fast lane the amendment at a special meeting on stay in place while a team of ASMFC sci- to “ecological reference points” (ERPs) November 14th? Straight to ERPs in 2018 entists develops multi-species models and a slower, uncharted route – and it or take a turn that won’t get us where we and evaluates their ability to suggest goes out for comment and hearings up want to be for at least another 5 years? ERPs more specific to menhaden. This and down the coast this fall. So it’s time work will be completed by the next stock We’re at a crossroads. This is the chance for the many thousands of fishermen assessment in 2019, after which the re- we’ve been waiting for, working for, all and environmentalists, who’ve been sults will be peer reviewed and then test- these years. Hearings will start in Sep- leaning on the horn for so many years, to ed through what’s called a Management tember, so check the Wild Oceans web get out and give the ASMFC a push. Strategy Evaluation. If adopted by the site regularly for news and blogs on During the years of gridlock, a consensus ASMFC, they likely would not be imple- Menhaden Amendment 3, sign up for ac- emerged among dozens of independent mented before 2022. tion alerts, and make your voice heard. fishery scientists around a path forward, – Ken Hinman, President For the Future of Fishing Wild Oceans is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to keeping the oceans wild to preserve fishing opportunities for the future. Our Goals: Officers and Staff: Board of Directors: ● preventing overfishing and restoring Tim Choate, Chairman Mary Barley (Islamorada, FL) depleted fish populations to healthy Rick Weber, Vice Chairman Bill Boyce (Saugus, CA) levels Ken Hinman, President C. J. Bright, Jr. (Kailua-Kona, HI) ● promoting sustainable use policies that balance commercial, Pam Lyons Gromen, Executive Director Stephanie Osgood Choate (Miami, FL) recreational and ecological values Theresa Labriola, Pacific Programs Tim Choate (Coral Gables, FL) ● modifying or eliminating wasteful Director Tim Ervin (Onekama, MI) fishing practices Laureen Megan, Office Manager Rick Weber (Cape May, NJ) ● improving our understanding of Directors Emeritus fish and their role in the marine Contact Us: environment Wild Oceans Stanley Arkin (New York, NY) P.O. Box 258 ● preserving fish habitat and water Waterford, VA 20197 John Heyer (Sedona, AZ) quality office: 703.777.0037 web: wildoceans.org 2 GROWING COALITION OF ANGLERS SEEKS TO CHANGE THE STATUS QUO A blueprint for a values-based swordfish fishery by Theresa Labriola, “greener” gear. Pacific Programs Director If managers set performance cri- It’s no secret that the California drift teria based on gillnet fleet holds the title as the west values such as coast’s highest bycatch fishery. More minimizing fin- than 60 percent of the haul is regu- fish bycatch and larly dumped overboard. It’s also the marine mammal only Category 1 fishery in the California interactions or Current, meaning the nets frequently economic stabil- cause death or serious injury to ma- ity, then they can rine mammals. This unsustainable and objectively make wasteful gear contradicts Wild Oceans decisions about mission to preserve the future of fish- whether and ing. A recent poll confirmed that Cali- how to autho- At the June Pacific Council meeting in Spokane, Theresa Labriola and Bob Kurz spoke in fornians’ agree and overwhelmingly support of authorizing deep set buoy gear on behalf of Wild Oceans, IGFA, The American rize a swordfish Sportfishing Association, and Coastal Conservation Association. support moving forward with a ban gear to achieve on the use of drift gillnets. But NOAA these goals. For submitted applications to test deep- Fisheries is moving in reverse by refus- example, Wild Oceans supports devel- set buoy gear off California. ing to implement a hard cap or limit opment of commercial swordfish gear Performance criteria can also help on the number of marine mammals that minimizes bycatch and bycatch avoid replacing one problem gear and turtles the fishery can injure or kill. mortality, including non-target fish, with another. For example, US long- Wild Oceans is advocating for a transi- and requires fewer management and line boats operating in the eastern Pa- tion to a fishery that reflects the values regulatory costs. Others may value the cific discard nearly 50 percent of their of Californian’s and supports healthy gear based solely on its economic per- catch.