Dear Herring Alliance Friends,

Thanks to all of you who made your voices heard in June 2008 regarding how the Atlantic herring fishery should be managed. Thanks in part to you, the New England Fishery Management Council has included management alternatives that, if selected, will deliver real reform in the herring fishery.

We will get in touch with you about the details of Amendment 4 when it goes out for public comment later this year, but one issue cannot wait: midwater trawler access to groundfish closed areas. Since 1998, midwater trawlers have been allowed to fish in these sensitive nursery areas for cod, haddock and other groundfish. But data released by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) last week shows that these trawlers have repeatedly exceeded their allowable threshold for groundfish bycatch in these areas  over the past 4 years, sometimes by two or three times the allowable limit. In fact, last October, midwater trawlers caught over 20,000 pounds of haddock in just one tow!

NMFS will ask the Council for guidance on what to do about this issue next week. We need your help to make sure NMFS asks the Council to support a prohibition on future trawler access to these important groundfish nursery areas.

The alarming and ongoing nature of the midwater trawl bycatch demands that NMFS immediately rescind their access to groundfish closed areas until suitable criteria for re-entry are developed.

Help us protect groundfish and traditional groundfishing businesses by contacting Patricia Kurkul, Northeast Regional Administrator of NMFS. Ask her to make it clear to the Council that the midwater trawl fleet has exceeded its threshold and to use her Council vote to cast a "Yes" on the question of prohibiting these destructive ships from sensitive groundfish nursery areas.

Thank you again for your continued involvement and commitment to protecting the Atlantic herring resource and the sustainability of the marine ecosystem in which it is a part.

Best,

Peter Baker
Director, Herring Alliance

P.S. In addition to our continued efforts to reform the Atlantic herring fishery, a new Pew Environment Group initiative is underway to transform groundfish management and end overfishing in New England. Stay tuned for more details. Very soon you will have the opportunity to participate and offer comments on important alternatives proposed in Amendment 16 to the groundfish plan.

Subject: Groundfish Bycatch

Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

I am writing to ask you and your agency to take immediate action to rescind midwater trawl access to groundfish closed areas until suitable criteria for re-entry are developed. Data released by your agency proves that midwater trawlers have repeatedly exceeded their allowable threshold of 1% groundfish bycatch in these areas over the past 4 years - sometimes by two or three times the threshold amount.

I understand that you are already considering this important issue. Please send a clear message to the Council that we need to protect rebuilding groundfish populations and traditional groundfish businesses by supporting an immediate prohibition on midwater trawler access to these sensitive spawning areas before irreparable damage is done.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]