As per a media report the economic importance of lowly menhaden fish of the Herring Point surf fishing area at Cape Henlopen State Park has much greater than anything else.
The Lewes fishing beach is often as packed with vehicles as a Rehoboth Beach outlet on a rainy Saturday, and the big lure for these fishermen is big fish: blues and striped bass, among others.
Scientists, fishermen and environmentalists have said that these prized predator fish are attracted to the area by schools of Atlantic menhaden, a small, silvery species that has been called “the most important fish in the sea”. But times have changed, and the menhaden stocks are declining – fast. Scientists affiliated with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), the 15-state regulatory body that oversees management of the species, estimate the menhaden population is now only 8 percent of its historic levels, with 10 percent of its former spawning capacity.
According to scientists’ menhaden is a critical link in the marine ecosystem, feeding large predatory species including striped bass, bluefish, tuna, cod and swordfish, as well as haddock, halibut and king mackerel. The fish is also an important bait for crabs and lobsters. Menhaden also feed ospreys, pelicans, loons, sea turtles and other marine mammals and birds.
