Environmental Initiatives
Restoring a vital link in the ocean food chain off the East Coast of the United States.
Most fisheries in the United States are regulated one species at a time. But regional councils and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are moving toward a strategy that takes into account the marine ecosystem as a whole—one called ecosystem-based fishery management. Managing the nation’s forage fish—small, schooling prey species—in a more precautionary way can be a useful tool in this transition.More
From whales to striped bass, important marine animals eat smaller fish and organisms to survive. These prey, or “forage fish,” in the food web are critical to a healthy ocean ecosystem. But people are not doing enough to ensure the abundance of prey species to feed valuable fish populations and marine life.More
Often known as "the most important fish in the sea," Atlantic menhaden play a vital role in the marine ecosystem from Maine to Florida. These fish, which barely reach a foot long, are a critical source for wildlife and valuable fish species. Yet their number has plummeted to a record low.More
A generation of determined, farsighted commercial and recreational fishermen, marine scientists, and legislators have shaped the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the law that governs American fisheries.More
Peter Baker, director of U.S. oceans, Northeast, spoke recently to fisheries experts from around the country about ways to improve the way we manage populations of forage fish—the small prey species with an important role in the ocean food web.More
Small, bony, and oily, the humble Atlantic menhaden doesn’t make much of a meal for people. But it’s a favorite food for a host of game fish, marine mammals, and seabirds. That makes menhaden a critical part of the ocean food web.More
A group of 94 concerned scientists sent the following letter to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASFMC) regarding the management of Atlantic menhaden.More
Little fish like menhaden are vitally important to marine ecosystems and the ocean food chain. Learn about why we must work to protect them.More
Menhaden numbers have plunged nearly 90 percent over the past 25 years, and the regulators responsible for their management will soon make a critical decision.More
A collection of infographics created by the Pew Environment Group.More
(Trust Magazine) Save the whales? Check. Save the sharks? Check. Save the menhaden? Save the what? More
On Tuesday, November 8, the Pew Environment Group hosted a phone briefing to review the critical state of the Atlantic menhaden fishery and the need for improved management from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.More
In this sign-on letter, 32 members of Congress write to the executive director of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to ask for improved management of Atlantic menhaden populations on the East Coast, specifically asking for a science-based rebuilding plan and a coast-wide catch limit for enforcement.More
This ad, targeted to the governors of Connecticut, Delaware, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island, is in support of the Atlantic Menhaden Campaign and its efforts to protect this important fish through the adoption of measures to increase populations.More
On Dec. 14, 2012 the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is set to cast crucial votes on the future of the Atlantic menhaden, sometimes called the most important fish in the sea.More
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