Connecticut conservation organizations praise proposal intended to protect forage fish
Conservation organizations across the state on Monday praised the introduction of new federal legislation that aims to protect forage fish — smaller fish like anchovies that serve as a vital food source for seabirds, larger fish and other marine life.
On Friday, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal introduced the Forage Fish Conservation Act, which will amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act — the primary law that governs ocean fish management in U.S. federal waters. The new act looks to recognize for the first time the important role forage fish serve in the ecosystem.
“Common and Roseate Terns, among other Long Island Soundbased birds such as Osprey and cormorants, depend on forage fish to survive and raise chicks. But forage fish populations are declining and shifting in range, which threatens birds and people that depend on them,” Robert LaFrance, policy director for Audubon Connecticut, said in a news release. “The Forage Fish Conservation Act is essential to protecting wildlife, and recreational fishing industry jobs, in Connecticut and beyond.”
“Seabirds like puffins and terns are vulnerable to shifts in fish populations, whether caused by over-fishing or climate change,” Sarah Greenberger, senior vice president for conservation policy at the National Audubon Society, said. “We are grateful to Sen. Blumenthal for his leadership to ensure a future for the birds in our ocean.”
Greenberger said the new legislation will build on more than 40 years of successful fisheries management to include forage fish, which make up the base of the ocean food web.
“We are encouraged to see congress take big steps to protect these little but important fish and to help seabirds recover from decades of decline,” she said.
The senate bill serves as a companion to H.R. 2236, also called the Forage Fish Conservation Act, which was introduced by U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., and U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., in 2019, according to the news release.
The House bill saw bipartisan support as well as support from organizations like Audubon, National Wildlife Federation, American Sportfishing Association, and more.
Several state conservation organizations similarly heralded Blumenthal’s newly introduced bill.
“Forage fish are a vital link between the sun, plankton, and the rest of the food web, so (they) are absolutely critical to human harvesters and wildlife alike,” Bill Lucey, Long Island Soundkeeper with Save the Sound, said. “Therefore we applaud our Connecticut and New York delegations championing these small fish to ensure they finally receive full management consideration. Restoring these runs are an investment for a future teeming with fish and wildlife.”
Craig Repasz, chair of the Connecticut Ornithological Association Conservation Committee, said his organization is happy to support the legislation.
“Connecticut supports large populations of waterfowl and shorebirds and other bird species that rely on these small forage fish,” Repasz said. “We have had great success supporting the recovery of our osprey populations, but we are still concerned with threatened species like the Rose
ate Tern that rely on this food source.”
Peter Auster, senior research scientist at Mystic Aquarium, said forage species were critical links between plankton, the base of ocean food webs, and higher trophic level predators.
“Currently there is no management plan for many forage species, so there is no mechanism in place to minimize the potential for significant declines with resulting ecosystem impacts,” Auster said.
“The Forage Fish Conservation Act will address these problems within the larger context of federal fisheries and ocean management.”
DeWitt Allen, president of New Haven Bird Club, and Deborah Johnson, chair of New Haven Bird Club Conservation, also shared support for the legislation.
“Long Island Sound and its freshwater tributaries host many species of waterfowl and shorebirds that rely throughout the year on this crucial food source,” they said in a joint statement. “What is good for the fish is good for the birds and good for the ecosystem. The health of the ecosystem is good for us, the people who live here.”