Bills on menhaden fishing fall short once again

Posted to: HamptonRoads.com News State Government Virginia
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By Scott Harper
The Virginian-Pilot
© January 22, 2011

Several bills to more tightly control menhaden fishing in the Chesapeake Bay were killed or dropped this week by state lawmakers, a similar fate to past attempts to limit this commercial fishery that has been a staple in Virginia for more than a century.

Only Virginia and, to a lesser degree, North Carolina continue to allow the industrialized taking of menhaden on the Atlantic coast.

Menhaden are small, oily fish that are netted by the millions and converted into fish oil, pet food and health supplements at a processing plant in Reedville, a village in northeast Virginia on the shores of the Chesapeake.

Environmentalists and sportsmen have been trying in vain for years to limit this harvest, which they say has damaging ripple effects among other fish species, including the popular rockfish, and to the Bay's fragile ecosystem.

This year, six menhaden bills were introduced in the General Assembly, including four from Hampton Roads lawmakers. One, from Del. Harry R. Purkey, R-Virginia Beach, sought to ban menhaden catches within one mile of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Newport News and Hampton.

Another, from Del. Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach, would have phased out all menhaden harvests in state waters over the next five years.

And another measure from Del. John Cosgrove, R-Chesapeake, would have shifted the oversight of the menhaden fishery to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. The General Assembly now regulates menhaden, the only species managed by lawmakers.

A companion bill - sponsored by Sen. Ralph Northam, D-Norfolk - empowering the VMRC is scheduled for a Senate hearing

Monday, though its chances are seen as remote.

"I'd like to know one legislator smart enough to make scientific decisions about this fish species," Cosgrove said Friday after his bill's defeat Thursday night in a subcommittee. "It's stupid that we do it this way."

By rejecting the bills, lawmakers handed another victory to Omega Protein, a

Texas-based company that runs the Reedville plant and carries considerable political clout in Richmond. Gov. Bob McDonnell sided with Omega and opposed all of this year's legislation.

Omega is generous with campaign contributions, giving nearly $78,000 to mostly Republican politicians, including McDonnell, from May 2009 to April 2010, according to records compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project.

Ben Landry, a spokesman for Omega, was pleased that Virginia lawmakers acted the way they did this week, saying the company has lived without violations under a quota system for years, and that there is no scientific evidence that menhaden populations in the Bay are in trouble.

In addition to Omega, others who opposed the bills at a House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources subcommittee hearing Thursday were the AFL-CIO, plant workers and residents of Reedville.

Three lawmakers pulled their bills from consideration before the hearing.

The Omega plant is a major employer on the rural Northern Neck peninsula and is the lone menhaden processing center left in Reedville.

Scott Harper, (757) 446-2340, scott.harper@pilotonline.com

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Governmental politics in Virginia

Submitted by self ed.opine on Sat, 01/22/2011 at 6:37 pm.

is presently stinking at an all time high from city hall Norfolk to the governor's doorstep. You can never explain to me outside of it being crooked lobby making that the General Assembly retains rights to a single one fish while refusing to hand it to over to a proper governing body that being the VMRC.

Bob is not on our side Virginia, and neither is our state delegation. This is a stomach churner by every conceivable measure and a severe setback on returning the Chesapeake Bay to days of old. Thankyou again for a total lack of true leadership Bob, did you honestly use any part of your concience when you decided not to nip this one quickly in the bud ?

Menhaden

Submitted by WETEVER on Sat, 01/22/2011 at 12:17 pm.

This is a crime and we as citizens need to put a stop to it.OMEGA can do just as they please.

Just an idea

Submitted by truthseeker on Sat, 01/22/2011 at 11:47 am.

Mebbe our crusading AG can investigate the financial relationship between Omega and our politicians, including Guvnor Mickey D., if he isn't too busy trying to get health care rescinded.

As I see it 3 r's and only 1

Submitted by Lores on Sat, 01/22/2011 at 6:03 pm.

As I see it 3 r's and only 1 d brought forth bills. The fact that Omega gave more to r's is probably indicative of the republicans are in charge. So I asked the report of this story for funding of politicians by this company while Warner was taking money from our pockets. Im still waiting on his reply.

Typical

Submitted by HW on Sat, 01/22/2011 at 10:29 am.

No matter how plentiful, no natural resource is limitless and needs to be controlled.

Legislators Dumb as a Box of Rocks

Submitted by Bugga25 on Sat, 01/22/2011 at 9:26 am.

With the exception of local reps seeking some control over the scope of the industry's taking of the Bay's keystone forage fish, the rest of 'em have no more sense than a box of gravel. Gravel seems more useful than a box of legislators since gravel has no hands to grease with cash handouts from industry. Perhaps a few dozen jobs hang with the existance of the plant and further controls over the business will mess with those, but maybe not. Do their vessels have coverage by the vessel general NPDES permit for vessels over 300 GT? Are process wastewater discharges from the plant compliant with their VPDES permit and does toxicity remain? If other states regulate their takings, why is Virginia behaving differently? Follow the trail of cash.

Menhaden

Submitted by WETEVER on Sat, 01/22/2011 at 9:15 am.

What will it take to stop OMEGA from raping the bay?

Absolute Depletion of the Species

Submitted by Bugga25 on Sat, 01/22/2011 at 9:27 am.

Nuff Said.

Fortunately, the fish are

Submitted by Ronald J. on Sat, 01/22/2011 at 9:00 am.

Fortunately, the fish are not considered endangered, but menhaden numbers are at all-time lows and far from the plentiful numbers from years past. ASMFC released a new report on the coastwide population this fall which indicates we should be very concerned about the future health of this fishery.

Stupid

Submitted by Donkeyottie on Sat, 01/22/2011 at 7:03 am.

Every other fish species is regulated by VMRC. why, you ask? This quote says it all "Omega is generous with campaign contributions, giving nearly $78,000 to mostly Republican politicians, including McDonnell, from May 2009 to April 2010" We got the best government money can buy! Next ask these folks what they know about regulating the catch of an endangered fish species and watch their faces go blank. Sad and stupid.