Hearings have been set along the Atlantic coast to let the public weigh in on whether to reduce the large-scale harvest of menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay by up to 50% and spread that harvest more evenly throughout the fishing season.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), an interstate body that regulates near-shore fishing for migratory species, voted Aug. 5 to consider a range of new Bay harvest limitations for the Virginia-based fishing fleet that harvests menhaden for reduction, or processing into animal feed and human dietary supplements. It acted in response to plummeting catches by Maryland bait fishers and drastic declines in osprey reproduction, for lack of food, in the middle and lower Chesapeake.
A final decision will be made in November, after hearing from the public. The public comment period ends at 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 9.
The schedule for in-person hearings is as follows:
- The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission plan a joint in-person session from 6-8 p.m. Sept. 15 at Annapolis High School Auditorium, 2700 Riva Road, Annapolis, MD.
- The Virginia Marine Resources Commission has scheduled two in-person hearings from 6-8 p.m. The first will be Sept. 19 at Northumberland High School, 201 Academic Lane, Heathsville, VA. The second will be Sept. 28 at the VMRC offices, 380 Fenwick Rd, Building 96, Fort Monroe, VA.
If people are unable to attend a hearing in their state, they may participate in one of the virtual sessions held elsewhere along the coast.
- The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection jointly plan a hybrid hearing 6-8 p.m. on Sept. 16. Register online here.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife are holding a joint online hearing 6-8 p.m. on Sept. 22. Register online here.
- The Maine Department of Natural Resources, New Hampshire Fish and Game, Massachusetts Division of Marine Resources and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management have teamed up for a virtual hearing 6-8 p.m. Sept. 29. Register onlinehere.
- The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will hold a virtual hearing 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 1 for any member of the public, regardless of residence. The webinar link is here.
For anyone unable to attend any hearing, the ASMFC plans to record a presentation explaining the options for changing the harvest limits. That presentation will be posted on the ASMFC’s YouTube web page in early September.
For more information on the proposed changes, the public hearing schedule and ways to submit written comments, visit the Atlantic Menhaden Draft Addendum II Action Tracker .
This story originally appeared in the Bay Journal
