NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — October 15, 2012 — A small but important fish for the Chesapeake Bay is the focus of a public meeting in Virginia.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is scheduled to hear from the public about the future of Atlantic menhaden during a meeting tonight at 6 p.m. at the Virginia Marine Resources Commission's office at 2600 Washington Ave. The meeting is on the 4th floor.
The oily fish supports one of the biggest commercial fisheries in the U.S. because of menhaden's use in a number of products, including heart-healthy supplements.
But a debate has been raging about that fishery based in Reedville and conducted by Omega Protein. Recreational fishermen, birders and environmentalists fear that menhaden's numbers have dipped to their lowest level in years.
Read the full story from the AP at the Virginian-Pilot