CCA Press release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 27, 2006 CONTACT: Ted Venker, 1-800-201-FISH

Virginia Assembly Rejects Menhaden Conservation Measures

RICHMOND, VA - In a stunning decision yesterday, the Chesapeake Subcommittee of the House of Delegates voted to reject a cap on the industrial harvest of menhaden from the Chesapeake Bay as mandated by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). The measure, adopted last fall by the ASMFC, would have capped the effort of the menhaden fleet at an average of the last five year’s harvest while studies were conducted to determine if the commercial operations are causing localized depletion of the important forage fish.
“The decision by the Virginia state legislature sets up an unnecessary confrontation with the federal government and puts the continued operation of the entire menhaden industry at risk,” said John Bello, chairman of Coastal Conservation Association Virginia (CCA VA).
Under the Coastal Cooperative Act, the ASMFC has little choice but to certify the state of Virginia as out of compliance with its menhaden plan and proceed with a closure of the entire fishery. The potential closure would not take effect before July 1, but if it is instituted at that time, the Virginia legislature will be out of session and unable to prevent the shutdown of the fishery.
“It is disappointing that the industry and the subcommittee apparently were not concerned that their decision puts all the employees of the reduction industry and the bait fishery at risk. In our testimony before the subcommittee we stressed the consequences of rejecting this basic conservation measure,” said David Nobles, chairman of CCA Virginia’s Government Relations Committee. “It is frustrating that they chose to ignore the realities of the situation.”
CCA VA supports the harvest cap which was designed to allow the reduction industry to continue operations while scientists develop a clearer picture of the impact of the harvest on the health of the Bay’s ecosystem. Evidence has indicated that the intense harvest of menhaden in the Bay is creating a localized depletion of the primary forage fish for a host of species important to commercial and sport fishermen. The Chesapeake Bay is the spawning ground for at least 80 percent of all Atlantic striped bass and that species in particular has shown signs of malnutrition and disease that could be linked to insufficient numbers of menhaden.
“We have maintained since the beginning of this debate that the intent of the harvest cap was not to put the industry out of business,” said David Hickman, executive director of CCA VA. “The cap would have allowed them to catch almost 106,000 metric tons per year, which is the average of the last five year’s harvest. The industry felt it could not live even with that modest restriction. Now the legislature and the industry leadership have chosen a course of action that will either weaken fishery management by the ASMFC or result in the closure of the reduction fishery by the federal government. Neither of those options is good for the resource or for the citizens of Virginia.”
CCA will ask the ASMFC to initiate the process of enforcing the cap at the Commission’s meeting in February

Unbelievable. At this point I hope the ASMFC just shuts down the whole fishery. I remember reading somewhere that back when they were considering the ban on striper fishing in the early 80s, VA would not agree and it took threats from the federal government before they finally joined the other coastal states. I just can't understand how conservation of a resource can be so strongly opposed. Unbelievable.

OK i am a little confused. If the ASMFC can and will close the fishery, then why would anyone vote against the cap?

They voted against it because Omega believes (and apparently convinced our legislators) that the CCA cannot close down the fishery.

Personally, I hope they do shut it down. The fact that Omega's greed doesn't allow them to accept even the weakest attempts at conservation is sickening. The cap did not mean a reduction--it simply meant that the limit would the average of the last five years would be the limit for the next five. They were afraid that that would limit them in "boom years" and that they might not be able to hit the limit in slow years.

I feel for the average OMega worker who has no control over corporate policy and it just trying to earn a living, but in the overall scheme of things, this is a confrontation that was long overdue.

Just my 2 cents.

Hey NJ1, I think you mean the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commision (ASMFC), which is a comission set up by the 15 Atlantic coastal states and not the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) which is a private non-governmental agency. CCA has no power to close anything. I'm not sure what power the ASMFC has but this could get very ugly. I thought at first ASMFC was part of NOAAs NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) but after checking their website realized they are independent of NOAA but work with them to develop regulations.

http://www.asmfc.org/

WOW!!
I think Omega is gambling with the livelihoods of their workers by lobbying the State not to adopt the cap. They are probably hoping that the ASMFC will not shut the fishery down and just fine them or sweep it under the rug all together. It will be interesting to see what the ASMFC actually does?!?!?!

In an article that was on the Fredericksburg.com site that cuhollow posted a few weeks ago( http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/200...01192006/161410 ), Del. Rob Wittman, R-Montross, said the limit was too low and wanted it raised. One of his arguements was... "It's a really big impact" on the local economy, he said. "Those are all high-paying jobs." He may have just signed their pink-slips!!!

To our State Representatives...

Thanks for the correction Whaler, you're right. I think the CCA was lobbying for the cap, but doesn't have regulatory authority.

It's a simple math equation this problem of placing a cap on the menhaden fisheries


Government + $$$ (Omega Lobbiest Contributions) = Rejection of the Menhaden Cap

It's all politics...

bc

Tico Time has it right. The legislature's decision has nothing to do with conservation or what's best for the Commonwealth. They're not even really all that concerned with Omega employees. It all about getting their pockets greased. And who is ultimately at fault. You and I because we continually vote to send these bozos back to Richmond. What likely will happen now is that the ASMF in order to avoid a confrontation and after a major Omega plea to save jobs will delay closing the fishery. What's sickening is that all this has probably been a "done deal" for some time.

It's sickening. The simple fact that the legislature consistently ignores the reccomendations of the asmfc and vmrc points to the fact that the special interests are in control. I feel for everyone in reedville, and especially for virginia's poundnetters who are liable to take a beating, but I'm with the gang on this. Let them close the fishery down, maybe then the issue will get some attention.

i agree... its called greed.. i hope the fishery is shut down..

They should shut down the fishery, period. To top things off, VB should ban purse seining w/in the 3-mile zone along its beaches.

I agree with all the above posts /// it is heart breaking /// when it comes to our elected elete............. and business just follow the money everything else is second.

There's a very good thread on the Menhaden situation over on the Tidal Fish board.

------->TIDALFISH THREAD