Stewardship

    Capt. Scott Wagner

Low Country Fisheries Suffer without Menhaden

If you want a small picture of what recreational fishing will look like along the Eastern Seaboard without menhaden, just come on down to the Savannah River and I’ll show you what we’ve lost here already. The “pogies” are gone. As a consequence, we’ve lost our striped bass fishery in the estuary, and the populations of our most popular inshore fish, speckled trout and redfish, are hurting. These species can and did stand a lot of fishing pressure when they could get the nutrition to reproduce successfully. But not now that the best source of nutrition—menhaden—are virtually gone.

About 15 years ago, when I cut my teeth as a fly and light tackle guide in this area, I learned quickly that I could count on the beautiful Savannah River for great winter striped bass fishing, even on the rankest days of winter. Any fishing guide that has such a spot will tell you how grateful they are to have protected water where you can catch trophy fish pretty much regardless of the weather Mother Nature throws at you. You don’t have to cancel nearly as many trips, or risk losing a client because rough water beat them up, they’re soaked, and the fish didn’t bite.

Scientists and fisheries managers will back up what I’m saying. The state of Georgia has spent tremendous amounts of time and money trying to maintain the Savannah’s striper population through stocking. But as usual, stocking hasn’t worked without the necessary forage to support the hatchery fish. I hope that the state will look into suing Omega Protein and/or the Atlantic States Fisheries Commission—the entity that’s supposed to manage coastal, interstate fisheries sustainably. They owe us big time. Omega has pillaged the ocean of these essential fish, costing us untold revenues, while the ASMFC hasn’t managed menhaden at all.

It’s sad to say, but these days, I don’t even bother taking customers up river for stripers, and there are far fewer trout or reds in those marshes either. Beyond all the lost charters that hit me hard in the wallet, it’s just tragic watching such a gorgeous ecosystem fall apart. The cormorants and other birds we enjoy seeing, and showed us where the bait was, are mostly gone as well. So if the bigger predators are disappearing, I shudder to think about all the ways their absence is impacting the food web. And I shudder to think about the future of great jobs like mine, and the jobs related to the tourism industries that fishing and wildlife viewing drive.

Fortunately, last year, ASMFC commissioners voted 14-2 to get serious about managing menhaden sustainably. They ought to shut down the fishery for a few years. A lot of other people, including scientists, coastal business owners like me, as well as individual anglers, wildlife lovers and citizens, have told them to close it or at the very least make major cuts in the allowable harvest. They received about 120,000 public comments weighing in on behalf of the fish. If that doesn’t send them the message that we’re not going to take any more excuses, I don’t know what will.

December 14, 2012, the day of the vote, is a gut check for those commissioners. Are you going to cave into political pressure from one bullying company that isn’t smart enough to develop a business plan based upon sustainability? Or will you save thousands of responsible businesses like mine, along with the magnificent ecosystems that they depend upon? Your vote will be a reflection of the strength or weakness of your character.

Capt. Scott Wagner is the owner of Savannah Fly Fishing Charters, and is widely regarded as one of the most knowledgeable and successful guides in the Low Country. He will contribute regularly to FLTA.