Press Statement
March 26, 2013

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Applauds V.M.R.C. for Moving Forward to Protect Menhaden

(NEWPORT NEWS, VA)—ChesapeakeBay Foundation (CBF) Hampton Roads Senior Scientist Chris Moore issued this statement following today's action by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to establish harvest allocations for the Atlantic menhaden bait fishery in Virginia:

"The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) commends the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) for moving forward today with necessary conservation measures to better manage Atlantic menhaden.

"Scientific, coast-wide assessments have made it clear menhaden numbers are at or near their lowest levels in history and that overfishing is occurring. Earlier this year, the Virginia General Assembly overwhelmingly directed the state to reduce the annual Virginia harvest by 20 percent. Today's VMRC action establishing allocations for the menhaden bait fishery and reporting requirements for menhaden landed in Virginia begins that process."