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 From News on the Neck, Bill calling for a $3 million menhaden study is a no-go

The proposal for Virginia to spend $3 million on a menhaden study sank before it hit the House floor.

Delegate Paul Milde (Stafford) introduced HB 2713 calling for the Marine Resources Commission (MRC) and Virginia Institute of Marine Science to conduct a three-year study of the ecology, fishery impacts, and economic importance of the menhaden population in Virginia waters.

Milde’s bill called for the study to include a number of details related specifically to the Chesapeake Bay, an area where critics want to ban the commercial fishing done by Reedville-based Ocean Harvesters. Some of the details the delegate wanted include:

• Seasonal abundance in the Chesapeake Bay,
• The spatial and temporal patterns of commercial fishing in the Bay,
• The possibility of localized depletion in the Bay
• Changes in recreational fisheries in the Bay

According to Milde, current menhaden management relies on incomplete information. This research would have provided “scientific foundation needed to make sound decisions that balance the needs of the fishery with the ecological importance of this keystone species.”

“There are no modern-day studies of menhaden populations in the bay,” he told ABC 8 News. “It makes sense that we need to find out where we really are with the menhaden, and if there are any connections between rockfish populations, osprey populations, and the menhaden catch.”

A number of the issues raised by Milde and his bill were addressed by Ocean Harvesters CEO Monty Deihl in a recent column in The Virginian-Pilot titled “Let’s set the record straight about menhaden fishing.”

On menhaden population, Diehl wrote, “The menhaden population is not “dwindling.” The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) reports menhaden populations are abundant and sustainably managed. Menhaden are not overfished and are not experiencing overfishing. The biomass exceeded 4.5 million metric tons in 2022, while total commercial landings amounted to just 195,387 metric tons. The ASMFC says menhaden biomass has been stable since the 1960s.”

And on localized depletion in the Bay, Diehl stated, “Although some critics in the recreational fishing community claim a distinction between the coast-wide and Chesapeake Bay menhaden populations, no evidence supports this. Menhaden are migratory, naturally moving in and out of the Bay. At a Dec. 6, 2022, meeting, Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) scientists called “localized depletion” claims speculative and unsupported by evidence.”

So, why would he be arguing against collecting additional evidence? Because he's afraid of the outcome.