WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 14 2010 – What I have learned is there is absolutely no science out there to indicate that there is any danger of the fishery being over-fished. Actually, to the contrary, all of the science indicates we have an absolutely healthy and sustainable population of menhaden for both commercial fishing and the sport fishing industry. Others would suggest fishing in the Bay is depleting the Bay’s resource, but the menhaden is a migratory species and they move up and down the coast of the Atlantic states and in and out of the Chesapeake Bay. So, frankly, there is no real way to determine what a population in the Bay is because those fish swim in and out on a regular basis. The caveat to that is the small fish swim up into the rivers, such as the Rappahannock and the Potomac, and that is where they grow up. The commercial fishermen are not allowed to fish for them there, so those areas are protected and they should be protected from harvesting.
One of the most difficult bills that I have worked on was the menhaden fisheries cap. That cap to protect the fishery was negotiated a few years ago and is designed to ensure we have a healthy and sustainable population of menhaden for both sport fishermen and the menhaden industry, which catches and processes these fish for oil. This year there was a strong push to have the Virginia Marine Resources Commission take over the management of the fishery in an attempt to shut down commercial harvest. This push was instigated by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. It was a difficult and tough fight to keep this fishery open and its closure would have meant the loss of hundreds of jobs for the Northern Neck at a time when unemployment is at an all-time high. At the end of the day, we were able to hold off that measure and my bill to protect the fishery and maintain the cap and continue the commercial harvest passed the Senate with a unanimous vote. It is important to note that many folks will tell you the fishery is suffering or it hurts the sport fishermen or there are not enough menhaden for the rockfish to eat. I will tell you that over the past few weeks I have learned more about menhaden than anyone could ever want to know. I have spent countless hours on the phone with fish biologists from the federal government and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. What I have learned is there is absolutely no science out there to indicate that there is any danger of the fishery being over-fished. Actually, to the contrary, all of the science indicates we have an absolutely healthy and sustainable population of menhaden for both commercial fishing and the sport fishing industry. Others would suggest fishing in the Bay is depleting the Bay’s resource, but the menhaden is a migratory species and they move up and down the coast of the Atlantic states and in and out of the Chesapeake Bay. So, frankly, there is no real way to determine what a population in the Bay is because those fish swim in and out on a regular basis. The caveat to that is the small fish swim up into the rivers, such as the Rappahannock and the Potomac, and that is where they grow up. The commercial fishermen are not allowed to fish for them there, so those areas are protected and they should be protected from harvesting.
At the end of the day, I believe the General Assembly has adopted the correct policy on this. I will also tell you that we spend a lot more time than just cursory review of this fishery. This fishery is watched very closely by VMRC, by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and by the Federal Fisheries Commission, who regularly monitor the stock and the health of the fishery. Any time there is any concern, they notify all of us so that we may take necessary action.
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