Saving Seafood

VIRGINIA: Virginia AG asks for dismissal of suit over menhaden fishing in the Chesapeake Bay

August 29, 2023 — The Virginia Office of the Attorney General is asking a Richmond judge to throw out a lawsuit from recreational fishers that says state regulators illegally increased menhaden catch limits.

The increase, the recreational fishers say, is having a negative impact on the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.

”This Court cannot issue the requested relief when that relief would result in a violation of another law,” wrote the Office of the Attorney General.

The Chesapeake Legal Alliance filed the lawsuit in May on behalf of the Southern Maryland Recreational Fishing Organization, a group that fishes in both Virginia and Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay. The group says the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, which has overseen the Virginia menhaden fishery since 2020, increased the allowable catch limit outside the Oct. 1–Dec. 31 period when state law allows changes to fishery regulations.

The Office of the Attorney General, which is representing the VMRC, said Virginia had to increase the catch limit to comply with new limits set by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which oversees fisheries on the East Coast. The ASMFC sets a coastwide catch limit for menhaden and then allocates a portion of it to each state. In Virginia, that quota is overseen by the VMRC.

Read the full article at Virginia Mercury

Two Former Menhaden Fishing Vessels Intentionally Sunk as Part of Mississippi Reef Program

August 24, 2023 — The following was released by Omega Protein:

Two former menhaden fishing vessels have been successfully repurposed as artificial reefs, as the F/V Mermentau and the F/V G.P. Chauvin were sunk off the coast of Biloxi, Mississippi on July 26 and 27. TheMermentau and the G.P. Chauvin will now serve a second life as habitats for many Gulf marine species, creating new biodiversity hotspots and new destinations for divers and recreational fishermen.

The G.P. Chauvin and the Mermentau were both previously owned by Ocean Harvesters, which fishes for menhaden in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico and is a long-term supplier and fishing partner to Omega Protein. In their active service, the vessels operated out of nearby Moss Point, Mississippi. Both vessels had been deployed in the fishery for over 30 years, with the Mermentau commissioned in 1988 and the G.P. Chauvin commissioned in 1989. The vessels fished for menhaden with several companies in the area before being retired in 2020 by Ocean Harvesters.

 

“Adapting retired fishing vessels like the G.P. Chauvin and the Mermentau for use as artificial habitats is a great way to responsibly dispose of these vessels while benefitting the environment and marine life at the same time,” said Monty Deihl, the CEO of Ocean Harvesters. “We are always looking for ways to contribute to conservation efforts in our home communities, and projects like this are among the best.”

The reefing was done in collaboration with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and Mississippi Gulf Fishing Banks, a non-profit that works to create new artificial reefs off the Mississippi coast.

“Artificial reefs are an essential part of our mission to promote biodiversity, healthy fisheries and tourism in Mississippi,” said Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Executive Director Joe Spraggins. “Retired ships like the Mermentau and the G.P. Chauvin provide a great substrate for reefs to thrive, and these donated vessels will continue to provide benefits to fish, the environment and sportsmen for years to come.”

 

“The vessels provided by Omega Protein will provide an ideal underwater habitat for marine fish and other organisms in the Gulf,” said Mississippi Gulf Fishing Banks (MGFB) President Ralph Humphrey. “It’s invaluable industry partnerships like these in our community that allow MGFB to safely and effectively continue our mission: creating artificial reefs that will ultimately improve fishing and diving in our Mississippi Gulf Coast waters.”

Omega Protein and Ocean Harvesters have long supported artificial reef programs, and have worked with several states to repurpose retired fishing vessels for new artificial reef habitats. The reefing of the GP. Chauvin and the Mermentau is the latest in a series of reefings of former menhaden vessels: most recently, Ocean Harvester’s Defender was sunk off the coast of Louisiana in 2021; in 2020, the Reedville was sunk off the coast of Delaware; the Barataria Bay was sunk off the coast of Mississippi in 2015; the Great Wicomico was sunk in the Gulf of Mexico in 2009; and the von Rosenberg was sunk off Mississippi in 2000. In the Atlantic, the Omega Protein vessels Tangier Island, Shearwater, and John S. Dempster, Jr have also been sunk for artificial reefs in recent years.

 

About Omega Protein

Omega Protein Corporation is a century old nutritional product company that develops, produces, and delivers healthy products derived from menhaden, a fish found abundantly off the U.S. Atlantic Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico. Omega Protein Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary and division of Cooke Inc., a family-owned company based in New Brunswick, Canada.

 

Through its subsidiaries, Omega Protein owns three menhaden manufacturing facilities in the United States. Omega Protein also has a long-term supply contract with Ocean Harvesters, which owns 30 fishing vessels which harvest menhaden. All fishing vessels owned and operated by Ocean Harvesters, an independent company, were formerly owned by Omega Protein. Any references to commercial fishing of menhaden relate to Ocean Harvesters, not Omega Protein or Cooke Inc.

VIRGINIA: Virginia menhaden fishermen test new spill response boats

June 28, 2023 — Chesapeake Bay menhaden fishermen tested a new response team and recovery vessel to handle fish spills when nets tear during purse seining operations, according to Ocean Harvesters, fishing partners of Omega Protein.

Working in cooperation with the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC), Ocean Harvesters tested the vessel Hopeful Harvest and two smaller skimmer boats that can recover spilled fish from the surface before they can drift toward shorelines. The recovery vessel will begin operating in the bay during the upcoming fishing season, the company says.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

VIRGINIA: Chesapeake Bay menhaden steamers christened

April 25, 2023 — Omega Shipyard in Moss Point, Miss., recently delivered the $8 million 180’x40’ F/V Reedville to Ocean Harvesters, suppliers to Omega Protein in Reedville, Va.

A traditional maritime christening ceremony of the F/V Reedville and F/V Little River was held on Saturday, April 22, to kick off the 2023 menhaden fishing season starting May 8.

With the new season, there’s hope that an agreement between menhaden fishermen, Virginia state officials, and other Chesapeake Bay user groups will reduce longstanding conflicts.

The christening was held on the docks at the Reedville plant, where the company’s fleet of nine fish steamers are moored. The 180’x40’x7’ Little River was not christened at the time of delivery in 2020 because of the covid-19 pandemic.

The Reedville, Little River, and the F/V Carters Creek, delivered in 2017, are all converted hulls from offshore supply vessels (OSVs) formerly employed in the offshore oil and gas industry. The three finished boats are almost identical.

The ceremony started with the singing of the National Anthem by Charlotte Blackwell, 10, daughter of Capt. William Blackwell, who is the master of the F/V Reedville.

Hannah Long, environmental manager of Omega Protein, was the master of ceremonies for the event, and she told the history behind the ancient ceremony of christening a boat for “good luck.”

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

VIRGINIA: Limits to be placed on menhaden fishing in Chesapeake Bay

April 25, 2023 — The menhaden fishery that supplies Omega Proteins’ plant in Reedville said it would limit the areas where it fishes, largely avoiding more populated coastal areas of the lower Eastern Shore of Virginia and Hampton Roads, including Virginia Beach.

Ocean Harvesters, which has an exclusive, long-term supply agreement with Omega Protein of Reedville, has continuously operated in the area since 1878 and announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the state of Virginia Wednesday. The Virginia Marine Resources Commission voted in December in favor of it.

The agreement, Ocean Harvesters said, is expected to limit potential sources of conflict between the fishery and other users in the Chesapeake Bay, “and is part of the fishery’s efforts to be responsible stewards of our shared marine resources.”

Omega uses the small, oily-fleshed silver fish and turns it into fish oil and fish meal

The fishery will not be able to operate in waters within one mile of the Hampton Roads/Virginia Beach area, and the lower Eastern Shore, and it will put new limits on when and where the menhaden fishery can operate.

Read the full article at WAVY

VIRGINIA: Ocean Harvesters, Virginia sign agreement limiting menhaden fishing

April 24, 2023 — Ocean Harvesters, the largest participant in Virginia’s menhaden fishery and a long-term supplier to Cooke subsidiary Omega Protein, recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with government of Virginia agreeing to put limits on menhaden fishing in the Chesapeake Bay.

The new agreement will restrict areas in the Bay to fishing, restrict fishing on weekends during busy recreational fishing seasons, and limit fishing an areas with high recreational boating traffic. The new MoU, the company said, will help limit conflicts between the fishery and other users of the bay.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

VIRGINIA: Menhaden fleet agrees to limit where it fishes in the bay

April 23, 2023 — The controversial menhaden fleet that supplies Omega Proteins’ Reedville plant is promising to limit areas in the Chesapeake Bay where it will set its nets and catch fish.

In a memorandum of understanding with the state, Ocean Harvesters said it wants to limit potential areas of conflict with other users of the bay.

Conservationists and recreational fishermen had pushed for limits — with some calling for an outright ban on catching menhaden in the bay — after two spills of dead menhaden last year washed ashore.

Read the full article at Richmond Times-Dispatch 

VIRGINIA: Virginia’s Menhaden Fishery, Commonwealth of Virginia Sign Memorandum of Understanding That Will Limit Fishing in the Chesapeake Bay

April 23, 2023 — Ocean Harvesters, the largest participant in Virginia’s historic menhaden fishery, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Commonwealth of Virginia and other menhaden fishing companies that will put new limits on menhaden fishing in the Chesapeake Bay. This MOU will limit potential sources of conflict between the fishery and other users of the Bay and is part of the fishery’s efforts to continue to be responsible stewards of our shared marine resources.

Ocean Harvesters has an exclusive, long-term supply agreement with Omega Protein of Reedville, Virginia, which has operated continuously in the area since 1878.

“The new memorandum of understanding successfully addresses concerns that have been raised about how the menhaden fishery can best coexist with other user groups in the Bay,” said Monty Deihl, CEO of Ocean Harvesters. “This MOU further illustrates that the menhaden fishery will work with the Bay community to alleviate concerns and to remain operating responsibly and sustainably here in Virginia.”

Read the full article at Yahoo Finance

RHODE ISLAND: Fisheries Council recommends allowing more Atlantic menhaden fishing in Bay

April 8, 2023 — The Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council voted Monday to recommend allowing commercial fishermen to harvest 50,000 pounds of Atlantic menhaden per vessel per week, despite the Bay possibly being closed to fishing because the population may be below Menhaden Management Area program threshold levels.

The 4-3 vote occurred despite a state Marine Fisheries Division staff recommendation for more study. When the Bay is open under the MMA program, 120,000 pounds/vessel/day are allowed to be harvested.

The MMA program uses ecosystem-based management approaches to ensure there are enough Atlantic menhaden left in the water to serve as food for striped bass, bluefish, tuna, dolphin, whales, osprey and other animals.

Read the full article at The Providence Journal 

VIRGINIA: Bill to require study of menhaden in Chesapeake Bay scaled back

February 14, 2023 — A proposal to study the menhaden population in the Chesapeake Bay was scaled back in the House Monday.

An earlier version of the bill from Sen. Lynwood Lewis, D-Accomack, asked the Virginia Institute of Marine Science to study the ecology, fishery impacts and economic importance of menhaden within the Chesapeake Bay over a two-year period.

But on Monday a House Rules subcommittee voted to amend the bill to only require VIMS to provide details of a potential study’s scope, including methodology, possible stakeholders, costs and timeline.

“I think your issue is totally legitimate, but we need to look at the health of the Bay in toto,” said Del. Bobby Orrock, R-Spotsylvania, noting studies can take five to 10 years to complete.

Read the full article at Virginia Mercury