A public petition for rulemaking regarding Atlantic menhaden was submitted by the Chesapeake Legal Alliance and the Southern Maryland Recreational Fishing Organization in December to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.
The commission subsequently opened an online Town Hall on Jan. 15 and asked the public to express opinions concerning this petition.
The petition asked VMRC to enact a moratorium on purse seine landings by the menhaden fleet within the Chesapeake Bay. It also asked the commission to set a limit of no more than 60 percent of current purse seine menhaden landings within Virginia waters (approximately 94,000 metric tons), and permanently codify a one-mile shoreline buffer and prohibit the use of menhaden purse seines within one-mile of shoreline.
The petition also asked the commission to establish proper industry oversight, monitoring, and reporting to ensure compliance and reduce bycatch and impacts on bay habitats.
During the Town Hall forum that ended on Feb 5, som...