Northam, Cosgrove want menhaden fish management under VMRC

The menhaden is a small fish, usually less than 15 inches long, that plays a vital role in the Chesapeake Bay's ecosystem.

But not vital enough, says Delegate John Cosgrove (R-Chesapeake), that the General Assembly would be called into a special session for some kind of menhaden-related emergency.

Which is why Cosgrove and Senator Ralph Northam (D-Norfolk) are cosponsoring a bill to transfer management of the menhaden fish from the General Assembly to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.

The VMRC currently oversees management of most of the bay's resources, including blue crabs and oysters, Cosgrove said. It makes sense for them to add management of the menhaden to their list, he said.

"I think it is a matter of trying to put management of these species under one umbrella," he said. If there's any emergency in say, March, he said, the menhaden "can't necessarily wait 10 months for the assembly to get back into session."

One caveat: under their proposal, the VMRC couldn't put a moratorium on menhaden fishing without General Assembly approval.

Menhaden are filter feeders who help clean the bay's waters, and are the primary food source for many larger fish and birds higher up the food chain. They're fished commercially to be processed into oil or fish meal.

--Alicia P.Q. Wittmeyer

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