Request for letters to the New England Fishery Management Council
Greetings River Herring Network members!
My name is Mo Bancroft - I am a Fisheries Campaign Coordinator for the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance. I am writing to ask you to contact the New England Fishery Management Council regarding an action item surrounding river herring. The Council is meeting next Tuesday at 1 p.m. in Plymouth, MA; they will be voting on whether or not to increase the acceptable bycatch limits of river herring and shad the industrial fleet is allowed to remove from the ecosystem for the 2016 – 2018 fishing years.
Knowing that river herring runs fell below expectations in many southern New England streams in 2015, it is preposterous that the Council would consider increasing the bycatch rates of this species. We are working with the Herring Alliance to oppose this action, but your efforts, either via fax, e-mail or phone call would strengthen the message. Unfortunately, the hard deadline is tomorrow (Thursday, Sept 24) at noon, but if you write something after the deadline, I can deliver your letter to Council members directly.
The content can be as simple as:
Dear NEFMC members,
My name is _____, and I am a _______ (volunteer/warden/concerned community member, maybe the duration of their service), and I am concerned that the New England Fisheries Management Council is considering increasing the catch caps of river herring that the industrial herring fleet is entitled to harvest. _________ (Some kind of follow-up, why is river herring important to you. For ex: I have been prohibited from harvesting river herring from my local streams for the last 12 years because the stocks are struggling to recover. It is very irresponsible and unfair to consider increasing the amount of river herring the industrial fleet is allowed to take from the ocean, when river herring are doing so poorly at their source).
Sincerely,
Letters may be submitted by fax or e-mail to:
• Email to
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Fax to (978) 465-3116.
If you would like to reach out to our respective New England Council members, their contact information may be found here:
http://www.nefmc.org/about/council-members
Furthermore, if you are available, it would be very beneficial to have you vocalize your message (a brief 2 minute comment) at the Council meeting at the Radisson in Plymouth, MA.
For further ideas on messaging, please see the letters below from the Fishermen's Alliance, and the Herring Alliance.
River Herring Catch Caps letter - CCCFA
River Herring Catch Caps letter - Herring Alliance
If I can be of any assistance, please let me know.
Many thanks for your support in this important decision!
Best wishes,
Mo Bancroft
Fisheries Campaign Coordinator
Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance
1566 Main Street, Chatham, MA 02633
(508) 945-2432 x 100 – Office