Maryland Congressman Wayne Gilchrest is floating a bill to protect a species critical to the Chesapeake Bay.

Just over the Maryland line, the biggest nets on the Chesapeake go after menhaden.

A factory operation out of Virginia harvests huge numbers.

A Maryland congressman wants it stopped.

"Which means the harvesting of menhaden for the purpose of making industrial things out of it, whether it's fertilizer, make-up or pills. That's ended," said Gilchrest.

That's provided Gilchrest can get the rest of Congress to go along with his bill.

If striped bass could vote, they'd go for it. Menhaden are a favorite food.

"They feed other important fish, like striped bass. The second thing they do is filter the water," said Eric Schwaab from the Department Of Natural Resources.

Menhaden are also netted in Maryland, but in far smaller numbers as bait fish.

Gilchrest's bill would not stop that. Before the factory fishing in Virginia, pound netters had little impact on the menhaden population.

During this past weekend's visit to the Eastern Shore, Gilchrest talked menhaden with the president.

Two years ago, a cap was placed on the factory fishing of menhaden allowing 109,000 metric tons a year to be harvested.
nows the time to get in touch with your congressman and support .

How great would that be...and then get VA to follow suit!!!

He's talking about the whole chesapeke bay,there are no commercial netters allowed in md bay waters other than pound nets.If I'm wrong please correct me.

Hats off to Mr. Gilchrest!!!!!!
It would be great to see this bill get passed. Take the time to write your Congressman and ask him or her to support this bill. Other states have already done this. It's time for Virginia to get on board.

Im sorry I posted this to early you guys don't get concerned until the big stripers are in and you see the netters off rudie inlet in december. I can see that from hist. search.Hey Don maybe you should send a copy of that vidio to Wayne Gilchrest,it could pos. help.And I don't care what anybody says this is part of the reason you don't see the bluefin that close to shore anymore.

Washington, DC Office
2245 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone 202-225-5311
Fax 202-225-0254


Baltimore Co. & Harford Co. Office
112 W. Pennsylvania Avenue, #102
Bel Air, MD 21014
Phone 410-838-2517 or 888-393-3915
Fax 410-838-7823


Upper Shore
315 High Street, #105
Chestertown, MD 21620
Phone 410-778-9407/ 410-758-4059 or 877-891-9719
Fax 410-778-9560
Mid & Lower Shore
One Plaza East
Salisbury, MD 21801
Phone 410-749-3184 / 410-376-3052
Fax 410-749-8458

these are the offices of Wayne Gilcrest,drop him some print...

va. congressman Bob goodlatte 2 South Main Street Suite A, First Floor
Harrisonburg, VA 22801
(540) 432-2391
(540) 432-6593 fax


Lynchburg Office:
916 Main Street Suite 300
Lynchburg, VA 24504
(434) 845-8306
(434) 845-8245 fax


Roanoke Office:
10 Franklin Road, SE Suite 540
Roanoke, VA 24011
(540) 857-2672
(540) 857-2675 fax


Staunton Office:
7 Court Square
Staunton, VA 24401
(540) 885-3861
(540) 885-3930 fax


Washington, DC Office:
2240 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5431
(202) 225-9681 fax

Article from the Baltimore Sun...

Bill would halt menhaden harvest
Gilchrest says moratorium would restore food supply for striped bass
By Rona Kobell | Sun reporter
October 24, 2007


The bill is squarely aimed at Omega Protein Co., an operation based on Virginia's Northern Neck that catches millions of pounds of menhaden each year. It would not affect the independent fishermen who catch menhaden to sell as bait for larger species.

Most states have already banned menhaden fisheries," said Gilchrest, a Republican who represents Maryland's 1st Congressional District. "It seems to me that the evidence is clear. If you look at the Chesapeake Bay as a whole system, then you can recognize that you have a large striped bass population. But it's not even close to what it was."

Virginia is one of the only states on the East Coast that allows industrial fishing for menhaden. Omega's operation in Reedville uses spotter planes to find schools of menhaden, then scoops them up in enormous nets. It processes them into fish oil supplements and other products.

Gilchrest said he introduced the legislation to put pressure on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which regulates fisheries in the Chesapeake Bay.

After years of pressure from environmental groups, the commission last year instituted a cap on the harvest. The annual catch was limited to 109,000 metric tons.

But Omega caught only half that amount, which Gilchrest said is further indication that the species is in trouble.

Gilchrest said that he attended last weekend's event with President Bush in part to bend the president's ear about menhaden. Bush was in Maryland to announce plans for a ban on commercial striped bass fishing in federal waters, and Gilchrest said appearing with him was an opportunity to tell another side of the striped bass story -- that the fish are struggling because of a lack of food.

Gilchrest said he was also able to make the menhaden case to the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the commerce secretary and a key presidential environmental adviser.



rona.kobell@baltsun.com

AMEN

109,000 METRIC TON ON A SEVERELY DEPLETED FISHERY.A MEANS TO AN END? A START YOU MIGHT SAY,BUT I WONDER HOW MUCH MONEY OMEGA CONTRIBUTED TO THE GOV'S CAMPAIN.ESPECIALLY SINCE THE MENHADEN HARVEST HAS BEEN ON A STEADY DECREASE OVER THE YEARS,OH AND LETS NOT FORGET THE CREDIT THEY GET FOR COMING UNDER WHICH IS JUST ADDED ONTO THE PRECEDING YEARS TOTAL UPPING THE HARVERST NUMBER.

I'm not very e-oriented but it sure would be nice if someone knew how to put some of the legislator's websites on here as a link so we could just send them our comments off VBSF!

I'll get em give me a day or two i'm on my nite works.

Exactly, these put money in the politician's pockets.

Good to see some movement on this issue.

NOAA gives Omega $20,000,000 in low interest loans guaranteed by the U.S. Government to refurbish their fleet so they can catch more Menhaden?

http://www.chesbay.org/articles/4.asp



Propaganda or truth