Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Last Menhaden Bill Dies in Senate

Senate conservation panel kills menhaden bill

The final bill left to take menhaden fishing out of the hands of the VMRC and into the hands of legislature, and reduce the menhaden catch, died in committee.  This was the last of six bills introduced to the Virginia legislature this year with this goal.

Ordinarily, I would be against legislatures having a direct role in managing fisheries resources.  They are typically too easily swayed by politics and money.  But in this case, the fishery is being so badly managed (largely because AMFSC refuses to recognize that the Bay and the coastal fisheries need to be managed separately) that it's hard to imagine it being regulated worse by the legislature.

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