Crab pots and peeler pots; marine-biodegradable escape panels, penalty. (SB552)
Introduced By
Sen. Monty Mason (D-Williamsburg)
Progress
✓ |
Introduced |
✓ |
Passed Committee |
☐ |
Passed House |
✗ |
Passed Senate |
☐ |
Signed by Governor |
☐ |
Became Law |
Description
Crab pots and peeler pots; marine-biodegradable escape panels; penalty. Requires any crab pot sold in the Commonwealth and any peeler pot regulated by the Marine Resources Commission (the Commission), or used or sold in the Commonwealth, beginning January 1, 2019, to have two marine-biodegradable escape panels, defined in the bill, on different sidewalls of the upper chamber of the crab pot or peeler pot, as applicable. The bill requires that beginning July 1, 2020, any crab pot regulated by the Commission, or used or sold in the Commonwealth, have two such panels. The bill makes a violation of such provisions a Class 3 misdemeanor. Read the Bill »
Outcome
Bill Has Failed
History
Date | Action |
---|---|
01/09/2018 | Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/18 18102504D |
01/09/2018 | Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources |
01/17/2018 | Impact statement from DPB (SB552) |
01/18/2018 | Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with amendment (10-Y 4-N) (see vote tally) |
01/22/2018 | Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N) (see vote tally) |
01/23/2018 | Read second time |
01/23/2018 | Reading of amendment waived |
01/23/2018 | Committee amendment agreed to |
01/23/2018 | Engrossed by Senate as amended SB552E |
01/23/2018 | Printed as engrossed 18102504D-E |
01/24/2018 | Read third time and defeated by Senate (15-Y 25-N) (see vote tally) |
Comments
I vote no!
Vote NO on this bill.
I vote no.
1. This will be far too costly for the commercial Waterman.A cull ring now last the life forbthe pot.
2. They have already taken the burden of so many regulations.
Please, vote NO on this bill.
I vote NO!!!!
I vote NO to this bill!!
My vote is NO!!
Vote NO!
I vote NO!!!
No
I vote No, this is much to costly for the watermen.
I vote NO!
I vote NO
I vote no!
Vote NO.
I vote no!
No !
I VOTE NO!
I vote no
Vote NO to this bill.
No way!
I vote no.
Please, do not pass this bill!
I vote no
I vote no
I vote no
Vote No. Hell No!
I vote No
I vote NO!!!!
I VOTE NO
I vote No
I VOTE NO
VOTE NO! This is another burden on the V.A commercial fishermen we do not deserve! Not to mention the fact that traps will scarcly last 8 months without maintenance anyway!
I vote no!!!!
I vote no!
NO!
I vote no
I vote no to this Bill
NO NO
I vote NO!!
I VOTE NO!
No!
Vote No...As a Waterman I volunteered to test these panels for VMRC this past crab season and the panels all failed. This product is not ready for use and certainly shouldn’t be mandated. Once the concept and product can be proven and successfully tested then allow the Crab Advisory Panel and VMRC to conduct their duties to see if and how they should be used. Please do not place this type of a time and financial burden on the watermen for an unproven product...
No this will be too costly
I vote no.
Please vote NO!
I vote No!
I vote NO!!
I vote no!
Why don't you bunch of mfers come out them on the pots
More bullshit from the vmrc
I vote no!
No
I vote no
Please vote NO.
I vote no. You are making the crabpot a throw away item. Adding maintenance to an already maintenance heavy item will end in more pots being left on the bottom when they erode too quickly.
No! It's already too expensive to maintain the pots. Ghost pots are such a tiny impact on the environment. This solves nothing.
I vote NO! TOO costly for the crabbers,especially when crab prices fall to $10 a bushel. If we have to do this then the $190 commercial watermans card we have to buy should be done away with. I pay more to be a waterman than my sister pays to be a Nurse!
I Vote no.
Definitely NO!
I vote NO
VOTE NO !
I vote no ! The working waterman doesn’t need any more legislation to make his job harder or more expensive ! Lawmakers should be helping to save this way of life not put them out of business
I VOTE NO!
We do not need this bill for peeler and crab pots. The law already requires two “cull rings” in crab pots. These cull rings allow undersize crabs and fish escape from the pots. The only thing that a biodegradable panel does is take more money out of the pockets of Virginia’s hard-working waterman. Bio-panels It will not do anything to save crabs or help with conservation. I highly recommend this committee vote NO on such an uneeded, redundant bill.
I vote no.
Please vote No on this bill! It will be far too costly to each one of us that work these pots. There are already requirements in place for us to have 2 cull rings in each pot now.
I vote no!
FV Miss Jane and he crew vote no
I vote no! Too costly!
Vote No! This is another costly bill for the watermen. It's also another bill that will line the makers pockets! Those ghost pots do more good than harm! Think Oyster Reef!
I vote no
Vote NO!
Vote should be no.
I echo comment made by Dan Knott
I vote NO!!!!
Vote NO on this bill
No.
No.
NO!! PLEASE VOTE NO You people won't stop until there are NO watermen left to catch a crab. This is yet another hardship on these hard working people. Mr. Mason, PLEASE take time to talk to these people, go out on the boat with them and see first hand what this is REALLY all about. I suspect you don't have a clue how something like this will effect them.
I vote NO!
I vote NO
I vote NO
I vote no because I know many a Waterman and they'll be stuck in the dirt if this happens
NO!
No!
I vote no for this bill because there are two rings on a crab pot that let undersize crabs and fish get out of the pot so I don't think there is a reason for this
I vote no. The crabbers have enough expense today and why add to it?no no and NO.
Please vote No for this bill! Thanks!
NO NO NO
I vote NO!
I vote no
Please, listen to the watermen,and vote no.
Vote no
I vote No
No! We have enough expense as it it!
NO
I vote NO!
I VOTE NO!
I vote no
No.
I vote no this is a horrible idea this is just another way to weave out waterman it's already hard enough to make a living, this is just another way for the state to steal from the waterman by making pointless laws that in the end will only come with a negative result.
I vote no
We the watermen of VA. have suffered enough over the years with the pot limit and especially the bushel limit we can’t take anymore extra expenses to barely make a living.
No no no give me a break this is just an expensive solution for a non existent problem!
I vote no
Vote NO
I vote NO
No already have 2 cull rings now
I vote no on this bill!!!
I say no
More government, no practical application. Poorly thought through!
I vote no
I vote No.
No
I vote no
No
I vote NO
I vote NO
I vote no.
I vote no!
NO!
No!
Senator Mason shows a severe lack of responsibility to his colleagues and his voters. This Bill 552 was a “rush” job. Knowing it’s a failed design, the patent owner and this Senator should apologize to everyone for wasting time on this nonsense. My vote is ABSOLUTELY NOT!
I vote No!
I vote no
I vote No.
This fisheries is already over regulated, costing far more to harvest the crabs than it should.
I vote NO
That’s gonna be a big ol no from me!
Absolutely no on this one.
No
IT IS HARD ENOUGH ON US WATER MEN AS IT IS. WE ALREADY HAVE TO MANY UNNECESSARY RESTRICTION'S ON US NOW. OUR RIVER'S ARE LIKE OUR GARDEN'S IF WE DON'T WORK THEM THEY WILL DIE.OUR RIVER'S HAS NEVER BEEN IN THE SHAPE THEY ARE IN UNTIL ALL THESE RESTRICTION'S CAME ON US.LIKE US NOT BEING ABLE TO WORK THIS PART OF THE RIVER OR THAT PART.ANOTHER BURDEN ON US IS THE $190.00 DOLLAR CARD WE HAVE TO BUY TO BE ABLE TO BUY THE LICENSE WE NEED FOR EACH THING WE ARE GOING TO WORK,THEN HAVE TO PAY FOR EACH LICENSE. IF YOU ALL ARE GOING TO CHARGE US $190.00 FOR A CARD THEN THAT SHOULD PAY FOR ALL THE LICENSE WE NEED. OR WE SHOULD ONLY HAVE TO PAY FOR EACH LICENSE WE NEED.LIKE THE OYSTER LICENSE WE HAVE TO BUY A $300.00 DOLLAR CARD,THEN HAVE TO PAY FOR THE OYSTER LICENSE.THIS IS NOT FAIR WE NEED TO MAKE A LIVING ALSO. WE HAVE TO BUY CRAB POT'S, PEELER POT'S, ROPE, BOUY'S,IRON, PAINT FOR BOUY'S FOR THOSE POT'S.PAINT FOR BOAT,NETTING ,CORK'S,PAINT AND ROPE FOR THE GILL NET'S AND BOUY'S.THEN WE HAVE TO BUY CRAB POT BAIT. OIL SKIN SET'S, BOOT'S. GAS FOR THE BOAT.ASK YOUR SELF IF ALL THIS WAS PUT ON YOU WHAT WOULD YOU THINK.
No to this bill
NO
No. The ghost pot data is incorrect. Now that all ghost pots have been removed, the impact of ghost pots should be revisited. Not fair to use data from years of ghost pots piling up.
I vote no
I vote no.
Please vote NO.
I vote No!! Pull this bill!!
please vote no to another attempt to increase the expense of the working waterman trying to make a living. purchasing and maintaining gear that only has a limited lifespan is already too high of an expense without adding unproven equipment at an additional mandated expense!
I vote NO!
Vote No! This is another costly bill for the watermen. It's also another bill that will line the makers pockets! Those ghost pots do more good than harm.
I vote no not practical holds up no where near the time as a vinyl pot.
I vote no
I VOTE NO !
I vote no.
I cost of a finished crab/peeler pot is bad enough now. I can hear them now "they're still making money or they wouldn't be doing it". Some of this family of commercial waterman it's all they know.
I vote No
I vote NO
Absolutely no!
I vote no.
I vote NO!!
I vote NO !
I vote NO on this. I am all for saving the environment, but this is ridiculous!
I VOTE NO !!!
As a waterman myself, I vote yes. I have seen firsthand that the harmful impacts of ghost pots far outweigh the few cents increase in price.
I vote no!
I vote NO!
No, no, and a hell no.
WE VOTE NO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I vote no! If these people think that a pot will last 8 months with no upkeep they are crazy. More expense for watermen for no reason. These people have plenty books smarts but no common sense.
I vote no!
Nope
I vote NO!
This bill is asinine, Vote NO
I say NO !!!
Vote NO
I vote NO
They're using old data. I vote NO!
For many reasons, I vote NO!
NO, NO, NO!!!!
This is my second comment. Every crab pot we set costs about $40 fully rigged.The majority of the pots we lose are caused by recreational boaters who are not paying attention or just don't care what they are doing.These ghost pots are caused by rec. BOATERS not us.Is it fair to make us foot the bill for a problem that they create? The State does everything in its power to promote rec. Boating and fishing which increases boat traffic and increases the chance of us losing more pots.It seems to me that the victim(the crabber)is being asked to pay up but the guilty party gets to go"free". NOT FAIR PEOPLE!
No! These will not work and will be a significant and unnecessary financial burden on already hard pressed commercial fishermen.
I vote NO!!
I vote NO! I would really love to know the selection process for the board? I don't believe that a single one of you have the best interests of these hard working men and women at heart. Though, I believe that there does need to be regulations in place I cant figure out how you come up with them. You get to go to work each day and sit in your heated or air conditioned offices and figure out how you can make it tougher on the watermen and their families today. If you don't have the best interests for the hard working individuals then please seek another profession!! It's getting ridiculous!!!
I vote no
I vote NO
Lost pots are not death traps that keep catching crabs and fish. Pots that are not worked on a daily basis being pulled through the water become fouled up in a matter of a few weeks. When a pot becomes fouled up the funnel openings become very obvious and crabs and fish will go in and out of the pots at will. Even when dirty pots are baited they catch very few crabs. The crabs go in the pot, eat on the bait and then go back out because they can clearly see the funnel opening. Trying to keep pots clean is one of the biggest challenges crabbers have. Lost pots are more beneficial as structure and sanctuaries than they are harmful. It would be a huge injustice to pass a bill that would cost watermen much time and money yet not have any benefit to sea life as it is intended to.
I vote no! As a commercial fisherman , we have a hard enough time making a sustainable living as it is. One more law would not benefit us , it would just cost us more expense , in an all ready dead expense occupation!
I strongly urge the Va. Senate to vote "NO" to SB 552. It is a hastily drawn up bill that benefits no one at this time except the panel manufacturer! The current crab panel is still in the test phase on crab pots only. None of these panels has even been tested on peeler pots! Va. doesn't even have cull rings in peeler pots at this time and to use the 2 and 3/8" cull ring in a peeler pot would let every peeler crab out! The crab panels are too large for the smaller peeler pots anyway. I also received the crab panels to test in about 50 of my crab pots this year. Because I started crabbing later, than usual, I never got them in my pots to test, but VMRC's Sarah Blackman, in charge of getting watermen to test these panels, had already planned on testing these panels again in 2018 and I planned to participate in this test. These panels need much more testing by knowledgeable watermen before they should be even considered and watermen should not have to be burdened with another expense. (The cull rings that are currently required in crab pots are basically a one-time expense. Biodegradable panels that cost $2/panel would be an annual expense!).
I vote No!!!
these escape panels are currently available from only one manufacturer at this time at a cost of $1.50 each with each pot requiring 2 panels = $3 per pot plus labor to install them these panels are required to degrade after 8 months, meaning that they would need replacement at least once during the season, so another $3 plus labor & lost time in water for the pot. to install the panel in the pot would require cutting 2- 4" x 6" holes in the pot. which would severely weaken the structural integrity of the pot. estimated total cost materials & labor for a 255 pot license would be $1530 for materials & $2550 for labor.( estimated at 1 hr labor) this would come to $4080 EVERY YEAR. The crabbers would have to foot the bill for this. if this bill is to pass.
the bill has been introduced & already passed the senate committee & voted & passed on the senate floor. many crabbers are not even aware of this bill or the ramifications & cost to them. should this bill become law.
the patent holders & the manufacturer were the the supporters of the bill at the committee because very few crabbers had heard anything about this. according to the reports & info submitted and published by the patent holders & Manufacturer. none of the alternate methods of ghost pot reduction were even considered!! this is just the patent holders & the manufacturers profiteering at the expense of the crabbers.