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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Press ReleaseGovernor Ehrlich to Receive "The Sportsman's Friend of the Year" AwardMaryland Legislative Sportsman’s Foundation & Menhaden Matter to recognize the governor for leadership in preserving the health of the Chesapeake Bay ANNAPOLIS, MD - On Thursday evening during the annual Maryland Legislative Sportsman’s Foundation dinner in Annapolis, Maryland, Governor Robert Ehrlich will be presented with "The Sportsman’s Friend of the Year" award for his efforts protecting menhaden and preserving the overall health of the Chesapeake Bay. The award is a replica of a striped bass, the official state fish of Maryland.
"We are thrilled to present this award to Governor Ehrlich on behalf of all sportsmen in the State of Maryland," said David Sutherland, Chairman of the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Foundation. "Time and again, he has shown leadership where it counts, to protect Maryland’s natural resources for future generations." Atlantic menhaden, once called the "most important fish in the sea," serves as the primary food source for striped bass and other important sportfish. It is also filter feeder, vital for the Chesapeake Bay, with a filtering capacity second to only oysters. Recent studies have shown that menhaden are showing signs of depletion with overall numbers at historic lows and predators that depend on the fish as principal food source, such as striped bass, are suffering from malnutrition, poor body condition and disease. "Governor Ehrlich has been a strong supporter of protecting menhaden, and we look forward to his continued support as the ASMFC moves into the compliance phase of the menhaden management process," said Todd Keller, spokesperson for Menhaden Matter. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will once again meet on February 23, 2006 when the Atlantic Menhaden Management Board will discuss how states plan on implementing and complying with the ASMFC decision to cap the industrial harvest of menhaden. If a state is found out of compliance, it could lead to a complete shutdown of the entire menhaden fishery, which includes both commercial and bait harvest. Menhaden Matter is a unique cooperative effort of concerned conservation and recreation organizations, including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Coastal Conservation Association, Environmental Defense and the National Coalition for Marine Conservation, dedicated to protecting the ecological role of menhaden and the Chesapeake Bay. ### |
Under the governor’s guidance, Maryland has been a leader in the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), a multi-state body that manages the menhaden stock on the Atlantic Coast from Maine to Florida. Recently, this body overwhelmingly voted to limit the industrial harvest of menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay to an average catch over the last five years.