FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Barbara Russo, 718-265-3428; 917-494-5493 brusso@wcs.org

Media Statement

WCS Praises Unmanaged Forage Species Protection Vote

Made by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council

Yesterday’s vote by the MAFMC marks important protections for forage species native to the Mid Atlantic

Young visitors wrote creative and fun haikus to show support for forage fish protection (Photos Attached)

Brooklyn, N.Y. – Aug. 9, 2016 – The following statement was issued by WCS Vice President and Director of the New York Aquarium Jon Forrest Dohlin:

“Yesterday marks an important milestone in the conservation of forage species that form the base of the food chain for marine mammals, seabirds, and many predatory fishes. WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) praises the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) for voting to protect these small creatures of the ocean. These protections will help ensure the long-term health and productivity of our local ocean and the animals that live there.

“WCS applauds the Council’s vision, leadership, and commitment to advancing ecosystem-based fishery management, and thanks the Council for its commitment to unmanaged forage species sustainability here in the Mid-Atlantic.

“Forage species such as krill, sand lance, and round herring eat plankton and other fishes at the base of the food chain. They are an important food source for a wide range of marine wildlife including sea birds, whales, and sharks. Globally, forage fish species represent approximately 35 percent of commercial fisheries’ landings by weight. Although they are not eaten directly by people in this area, demand is growing for their use as feed in aquaculture and livestock industries, fish oil, vitamin supplements, cosmetics, and fertilizer. Without forage fish protection, unmanaged fisheries for them could threaten local populations of marine wildlife, as well as other fisheries for larger species that depend on forage species as their prey.

“The Council voted to proactively protect more than 50 species of fish and invertebrates. Though these species aren’t commercially fished at the moment, the Council has put in place requirements to prepare scientific assessments and management measures before new commercial fisheries develop. This will pay important dividends not only for existing fisheries but also for wildlife like sharks, whales and seabirds that depend on these species for prey.

“Over the last month, more than 5,000 Wildlife Conservation Society facilities visitors and online advocates signed petitions, made drawings, and wrote haikus – small poems for small fishes – in support of forage fish protection. We are very grateful for this support. By protecting these species, we are protecting the long-term health of our local marine ecosystem and the food web that helps support commercial and recreation fishing, as well as local marine wildlife.”

*Special Note: WCS marine experts are available to discuss this amendment. Please contact Barbara Russo at 718-265-3428 or brusso@wcs.org, for more information and interviews.

Wildlife Conservation Society's New York Aquarium is open every day of the year. Summer hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Fall/winter/spring hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., daily. Tickets are $11.95 per person (ages 3 & up), and include Aquarium admission plus one admission to the new 4-D Theater; children age 2 and under are admitted free. Fridays after 4 p.m. in the summer and after 3 p.m. in the fall, Aquarium admission is by pay-what-you-wish donation.  The aquarium is located on Surf Avenue at West 8th Street in Coney Island.  The New York Aquarium is located on property owned by the City of New York, and its operation is made possible in part by public funds provided through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. For directions, information on public events and programs, and other aquarium information, call 718-265-FISH or visit our web site at http://www.nyaquarium.com. Now is the perfect time to visit and show support for the WCS New York Aquarium, a beloved part of Brooklyn and all of the City of New York. Due to Hurricane Sandy we are partially opened. Check our website for more information. www.nyaquarium.com.

WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in nearly 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: newsroom.wcs.org Follow: @WCSNewsroom. For more information: 347-840-1242.

Special Note to the Media: If you would like to guide your readers or viewers to a Web link where they can make donations in support of helping save wildlife and wild places, please direct them to wcs.org.

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