You’ve probably never seen Atlantic menhaden on a restaurant menu, and maybe you’ve never even heard of this little fish. But Atlantic menhaden, which have been called the “most important fish in the sea,” need your help.

Atlantic menhaden (Photo credit: Phillip Jones, courtsey of South Carolina Department of Natural Resources)

Atlantic menhaden are small, oily fish that are an important food for striped bass, bluefish, tuna, whales, porpoises, seabirds, and many other wildlife – but they are also caught for use as lobster bait or in a variety of consumer products such as pet food and fish oil supplements. While menhaden used to be abundant along the east coast of the United States, overfishing has resulted in the population dropping to a historic low. A declining menhaden population is detrimental to the marine ecosystems and predators that depend on this fish and to New England’s coastal economies, whose commercial and recreational businesses rely on the fish that prey on menhaden.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), a deliberative body made up of representatives from the coastal Atlantic states that coordinates the conservation and management of the states’ shared fishery resources (including menhaden), recently took an important first step to protect the menhaden population by laying out a plan to increase the number left in the ocean and preserve the marine ecosystems that depend upon this important fish. The ASMFC will meet in November to vote on the plan – so the time to make your voice heard in support of protection for menhaden is now. Click here to send a message to the ASMFC urging it to approve actions to protect menhaden from overfishing and restore the population to healthy levels.

Make your voice heard, and help us save the “most important fish in the sea.”

Catch up with the latest news from TalkingFish.org, a blog brought to you by CLF and other organizations and individuals who want to see a sustainable fishing industry in New England and abundant fish populations for generations to come. TalkingFish.org aims to increase people’s understanding of the scientific, financial and social aspects at work in New England’s fisheries. Here’s what went on this week:

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  Read about river herring this week on TalkingFish.org! (Photo credit: Mike Laptew)

  September 26: “Care about river herring? Then pay attention this week!” – This week was a big week for river herring at the New England Fishery Management Council meeting. TalkingFish.org tells you what was on the agenda and how you can make your voice heard to support options help save river herring. Next week we’ll have some recaps of the Council meeting, so be sure to check back!

• September 30: “Fish Talk in the News – Friday, September 30″ – A weekly update of recent news stories that might interest TalkingFish.org readers. This week: NOAA released the first National Bycatch Report, the trend in seafood traceability continues, and Environmental Defense Fund wrote an opinion piece about making improvements to ensure that the sector management system works effectively for as many groundfishermen as possible.

Catch up with the latest news from TalkingFish.org, a blog brought to you by CLF and other organizations and individuals who want to see a sustainable fishing industry in New England and abundant fish populations for generations to come. TalkingFish.org aims to increase people’s understanding of the scientific, financial and social aspects at work in New England’s fisheries. Here’s what went on this week:

• September 20: “Attention shoppers: Finding local sustainable seafood just keeps getting easier” – Locally and responsibly harvested seafood is on the menu at your neighborhood supermarkets and restaurants! Join a CSF, find a retailer offering freshly-caught seafood, or look for products that are certified Gulf of Maine-caught and responsibly managed.
• September 22: “Fish Talk in the News – Thursday, September 22″ – A weekly update of recent news stories that might interest TalkingFish.org readers.

If you read the CLF Scoop, you probably already know how important it is to make sure that the seafood you purchase is from a healthy fishery and was caught in a sustainable manner. But did you know that it’s now easier than ever to buy this sustainable fish at your local supermarket along with your regular grocery shopping?

Earlier this month, Shaw’s Supermarkets announced that it would be working with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) to develop a new sustainable seafood sourcing program. Seafood products certified by the MSC will include various wild salmons and other Alaskan, Pacific, and Canadian fish. The MSC is a well-known sustainable seafood certification and ecolabelling program that certifies fisheries across the globe – you’ve probably seen their logo on seafood in stores or read about them in the news. MSC certification is not a perfect process but it is more reliable than no MSC certification.

Look for this seal in supermarkets to be sure that your seafood has been certified by the GMRI Responsibly Harvested branding program

If you want an even better certification for New Englanders, look for the GMRI label. GMRI is a regional nonprofit organization that uses science, education, and community to catalyze solutions to the complex challenges of ocean stewardship and economic growth in the Gulf of Maine bioregion.  Their Gulf of Maine Responsibly Harvested branding program identifies locally caught products that have met their rigorous criteria for responsible harvest. The GMRI-certified seafood products that Shaws will be selling include lobster, northern shrimp, cod, haddock, sea scallops and pollock, and GMRI is working with other supermarkets, including Hannaford, as well as with restaurants in Portland, Maine. This brand is a two-fer: GMRI fish has the benefits of responsible harvest methods coupled with lower transportation costs, which help with reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

This is great news for those of us who care about eating responsibly harvested seafood and about supporting our local fishermen and coastal economies – and of course it’s great news for New England’s fishermen, economies, and environment as well. Seafood traceability – being able to follow your fish along the supply chain from the fisherman who caught it to the place where you purchased it – is essential to ensure that the responsibly harvested fish we buy and eat is in fact harvested responsibly. Seafood certification programs such as those discussed above are a way for consumers to have more confidence in the sustainability of their food sources, and we commend retailers, restaurants, and the nonprofits with which they partner for making certified products available for shoppers and diners.

Consumers who are ready to take the traceability of their seafood to the next level should check out local community supported fisheries (CSFs), in which CSF members pay fishermen in advance of the season and then receive a weekly share of seafood throughout the season, and websites like sea2table.com and traceandtrust.com that allow consumers to find local restaurants serving fresh-caught seafood or to trace their purchased fish straight back to the boat and fisherman who caught it.

To read more about buying sustainable seafood and supporting your local fishermen, visit CLF’s blog about fishery management in New England, www.talkingfish.org.

Catch up with the latest news from TalkingFish.org, a blog brought to you by CLF and other organizations and individuals who want to see a sustainable fishing industry in New England and abundant fish populations for generations to come. TalkingFish.org aims to increase people’s understanding of the scientific, financial and social aspects at work in New England’s fisheries. Here’s what went on this week:

• September 13: “Overfishing 101: It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over” – In the eleventh post in his “Overfishing 101 series,” Pew Environment Group’s Lee Crockett writes about the progress U.S. fishery management has made toward ending overfishing – but he cautions that our work is not done yet. “Plenty of hard work remains to ensure that strong catch limits are effectively implemented, enforced and adjusted to reflect the best available science over time,” Crockett writes. “Congress also will need to provide ongoing funding for data collection, monitoring and analysis. This will allow us to verify that fishing is occurring at sustainable levels and will inform us when America’s fish populations rebuild to levels that can support thriving fisheries and ocean ecosystems.”
  

• September 16: “Fish Talk in the News – Friday, September 16″ – A weekly update of recent news stories that might interest TalkingFish.org readers.

Catch up with the latest news from TalkingFish.org, a blog brought to you by CLF and other organizations and individuals who want to see a sustainable fishing industry in New England and abundant fish populations for generations to come. TalkingFish.org aims to increase people’s understanding of the scientific, financial and social aspects at work in New England’s fisheries. Here’s what went on this week:

• September 7: “What happens to river herring in 2012?” – Populations of river herring are in serious decline across the Atlantic coast; some states have seen their populations drop by 99 percent or more.  Next year, the Atlantic States Marine Fishery Commission (ASMFC), the body that manages river herring fishing within state waters, is requiring states to declare a moratorium on fishing for river herring. Talking Fish discusses the importance of this action and what it means for fishing in state waters.
• September 8: “Fish Talk in the News – Thursday, September 8″ – A weekly update of recent news stories that might interest TalkingFish.org readers.

Catch up with the latest news from TalkingFish.org, a blog brought to you by CLF and other organizations and individuals who want to see a sustainable fishing industry in New England and abundant fish populations for generations to come. TalkingFish.org aims to increase people’s understanding of the scientific, financial and social aspects at work in New England’s fisheries. Here’s what went on this week:

• August 31: “Fish Talk in the News – Wednesday, August 31″ – A weekly update of recent news stories that might interest TalkingFish.org readers.
• September 1: Overfishing 101: New England’s First Year of Fishing Under Sectors” – In the latest post in his Overfishing 101 series, Pew Environment Group’s Lee Crockett writes about the positive nature of the preliminary data from the New England groundfish fishery’s first year under sectors. He also discusses the importance of adding measures to the system that will make it even more successful and continue to provide opportunities for New England’s traditional small-scale fishermen to prosper.

Catch up with the latest news on Talking Fish, a blog brought to you by CLF and other organizations and individuals who want to see a sustainable fishing industry in New England and abundant fish populations for generations to come. Talking Fish aims to increase people’s understanding of the scientific, financial and social aspects at work in New England’s fisheries. Here’s what went on this week:

• August 23: “Breaking a System That Isn’t Broken?” – Ken Stump, Policy Director of the Marine Fish Conservation Network, writes about how those who demonize the New England fishery management system and call for it to be dismantled have ignored the significant progress the system has made towards ending overfishing and rebuilding fish stocks in the region.
• August 24: “Fishermen and Conservationists Forced to Federal Courts for River Herring Help” – Earthjustice attorney Roger Fleming updates readers on three federal lawsuits currently underway to force government officials to sustainably manage river herring.
• August 25: “Fish Talk in the News – Thursday, August 25″ – A weekly update of recent news stories that might interest Talking Fish readers.

Catch up with the latest news on Talking Fish, a blog brought to you by CLF and other organizations and individuals who want to see a sustainable fishing industry in New England and abundant fish populations for generations to come. Talking Fish aims to increase people’s understanding of the scientific, financial and social aspects at work in New England’s fisheries. Here’s what went on this week:

• August 16: “Consumer education is the key to better prices for New England fish” – Glen Libby, Maine fisherman, writes about educating consumers about the importance of buying fish that are caught locally and are sold at prices that allow fishermen to make a profit and continue to fish sustainably and responsibly.
• August 18: “Overfishing 101: Why rebuilding fish populations benefits everyone” – In the latest post in his “Overfishing 101″ series, Lee Crockett of the Pew Environment Group writes about how rebuilding fish populations provides long-term benefits for commercial fishermen, coastal communities, ecosystems, consumers, and recreational fishermen.
• August 18: “Fish Talk in the News – Thursday, August 18″ – A weekly update of recent news stories that might interest Talking Fish readers.