Feb 2, 2011 – A bill by Virginia State Sen. Ralph Northam to move management over to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission was sunk recently in the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee by a 14-1 margin.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission says overfishing is not occurring, while proponents of tighter restrictions on commercial harvests point out menhaden populations are at historic lows and declare their belief that menhaden populations near the bay are particularly depleted.
The Chesapeake Bay Program notes on its website that scientists are developing a multi-species virtual population analysis tool for the Atlantic menhaden stock, which will document how fishing and predation simultaneously affect the coastal Atlantic menhaden stock.
Applying sound science to this issue can't happen soon enough.
Read the complete story from The Free Lance-Star.
OTHER PERSPECTIVES:
Virginia Legislators Withdraw Bills that Would Hurt Menhaden Industry
ATLANTIC MENHADEN: Facts and Unsubstantiated Claims