Menhaden; VMRC to adopt regulations for managing the Commonwealth's fishery. (SB1046)
Introduced By
Sen. John Cosgrove (R-Chesapeake) with support from co-patron Del. Kaye Kory (D-Falls Church)
Progress
✓ |
Introduced |
✗ |
Passed Committee |
☐ |
Passed House |
☐ |
Passed Senate |
☐ |
Signed by Governor |
☐ |
Became Law |
Description
Management of menhaden. Requires the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to adopt regulations to implement the Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden and authorizes the Commission to adopt regulations for managing the Commonwealth's menhaden fishery. The bill also requires that any moratorium on the fishery be subject to legislative review. The bill repeals several existing codified provisions relating to quotas, allocation of allowable landings, and administrative procedures, which will be included in a regulatory framework for managing the fishery. Read the Bill »
Outcome
Bill Has Failed
History
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 12/02/2018 | Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/19 19100421D |
| 12/02/2018 | Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources |
| 01/09/2019 | Impact statement from DPB (SB1046) |
| 01/24/2019 | Passed by indefinitely in Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (14-Y 1-N) (see vote tally) |
Comments
Please pass this bill. It’s long over due to have the menhaden fishery managed by the VMRC like all the other fisheries and for VA to come into compliance with the ASMFC. Omega protein should not get special access and treatment just because they buy off our slimy politicians.
It's about time something is done in Virginia about the gross over harvest of menhaden at the mouth of the bay and coastal VA. The future of the Bay and it's inhabutants depends on it.
Menhaden are an essential nutrient to nearly every commercially valuable species on the eat coast due to their extremely high nutritional value. Numerous fishery studies have shown that striped bass are consuming more pollock because of the lack of menhaden. This is not as nutritionally valuable to them as menhaden. The reduction industry in total supports very few jobs. If yours is one I understand that is important but industries come and go with progress. The east coast is full of mills that once made ship sails but yet those people found other work. A previous reduction in the overall harvest has already shown an increase in the range of menhaden which are now found above Cape Ann in Massachusetts. It is economic fallacy to risk the entire commercial harvest as well as severely reducing the biomass for recreational fishing just to support one company, Omega Protein which is now under foreign ownership. It is my opinion that Virginia needs to regulate the menhaden reduction fishery in its waters and set lower, sustainable limits to the menhaden harvest. I feel the future of the entire east coast fishery is at risk from Omega's unsustainable seemingly unrestrained harvest of this valuable public resource.