NEWS ? WASHINGTON, D.C. ? Congressman Jim Saxton introduced legislation to bolster the stocks of Menhaden (Bunker).
?Menhaden are an important part of the food chain,? Saxton said. ?It is strongly suspected that they are a primary food source of game fish that are crucial to Jersey Shore tourism. I?m not telling fishermen anything they don?t know. What?s good for menhaden is good for the stripers and the blues.?

Menhaden stock appears to be on the decline. They are believed to be a food source for ospreys, loons seals, whales and other marine life that live or visit the Jersey coastal areas and fish such as weakfish and Spanish mackerel. Because menhaden themselves feed on rotting sea vegetation and plankton, they have a positive effect on water quality.

Saxton?s bill, H.R. 3840, is modeled after the successful Atlantic Striped Bass Act and establishes a moratorium on commercial Atlantic menhaden fishing for reduction purposes in Atlantic coastal waters until a scientifically-determined catch level can be established that also considers the role of menhaden in the ecosystem and it prohibits commercial Atlantic menhaden fishing for reduction purposes in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone that extends 200 miles into the Atlantic Ocean from the coast.
The bill directs the Departments of Interior and Commerce to conduct annual stock assessments, and investigations into population dips and the impact of menhaden on water quality. The bill authorizes a total of up to $1.05 million to pay for the studies.

?Menhaden may not be the daily special at a New Jersey diner, but to a bluefish or striped bass, they?re meat and potatoes,? Saxton said. A copy of the bill is available by calling 261-5801.
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