Holy Crap!! Omega Protein Got SLAPPED!!!

[Roccus7]

Industrial fishing giant strikes out twice as it breaks the rules in the Chesapeake Bay

Alexandria, Va. – December 19, 2019 - U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross today issued a decision cracking down on overfishing in the Chesapeake Bay and paving the way for better management of the menhaden fishery. Ross found the state of Virginia out of compliance after foreign-owned Omega Protein willfully violated the fishing cap on menhaden, a key food source for striped bass, in the Chesapeake Bay. “U.S. Commerce Secretary Ross’ decision to hold Omega Protein accountable for their actions demonstrates clear conservation leadership to the sportfishing and boating industry and anglers along the Atlantic Coast,” said Glenn Hughes, president of the American Sportfishing Association. “This decision comes at a critical time because menhaden’s top predator, Atlantic striped bass, is currently in poor condition and the Chesapeake Bay is the primary spawning and nursery area for the species. We thank Secretary Ross for recognizing the value menhaden brings to the recreational fishing community and America’s outdoor recreational economy.” “Secretary Ross made the right move in standing with recreational fishermen,”said Whit Fosburgh, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “Reduction fishing for menhaden threatens the livelihoods of thousands of hard-working fishing guides and tackle shop owners and impacts everything from striped bass to whales. Today’s decision holds Omega accountable and sets the stage for improved management of this important forage fish.” “The ASMFC's Policy Board has some of the finest fishery managers in the country on it and they unanimously found Virginia out of compliance with the Menhaden Fishery Management Plan. Upholding the ASMFC's non-compliance finding for Virginia was simply the right thing to do,” said David Sikorski, executive director of Coastal Conservation Association Maryland. “We applaud Secretary Ross for defending both the management system and the forage base in the Chesapeake Bay.” “Implementing responsible conservation practices across all fisheries is essential to the long-term wellbeing of marine ecosystems and we thank Secretary Ross for doing just that by swiftly addressing menhaden overfishing in the Chesapeake Bay,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association. “Healthy and sustainable forage fish and sportfish stocks are equally important to the recreational boating and fishing community and this decision is a major step toward protecting and rebuilding both of these critical populations.” Since October, tens of thousands of recreational anglers, dozens of businesses and organizations, and nine Governors along the east coast, including Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, have all requested that the Secretary take action on this issue. The Virginia General Assembly, which meets in early 2020, must now decide whether to transfer management of menhaden to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission or face a moratorium. According to a recent scientific study, menhaden reduction fishing contributes to a nearly 30 percent decline in striped bass numbers. The striped bass fishing industry contributes $7.8 billion in GDP to the economy along the Atlantic coast.

 

[george]

This is a really big deal. There was another great bill passed this week due to this administration.

 

[Mbg75]

Sounds like all the push back forced the secretary to make this happen.

They didn’t realize the state was out of compliance before everyone spoke up?

 

[Roccus7]

Sounds like all the push back forced the secretary to make this happen.

They didn’t realize the state was out of compliance before everyone spoke up?

Oh it was known, but VA ASFMC reps had to ask ASFMC as a whole to petition the Secretary to declare VS out of compliance. Yeah, sounds bizarre, but that's the protocol.

 

[Capt13]

From the Shore Daily News 12/25/2019 :

NORFOLK, Va. (AP)- The Trump Administration is threatening to effectively ban a company that makes fish oil pills from fishing in the Chesapeake Bay over mounting concerns from regulators, governors and environmental groups about overfishing.

Earlier this year, the company Omega Protein exceeded the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission harvest recommendations in the bay by more than 30% on a bony and oily fish called Atlantic menhaden.

The species is ground up and used in anything from health supplements rich with omega-3 fatty acids to high-end dog food. But the fish is also food for striped bass, humpback whales and other animals in the nation’s largest estuary.

In a letter released Thursday, the U.S. Department of Commerce agreed with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission that the species is a vital link in the Chesapeake Bay’s food chain.

The Commerce Department warned that Virginia lawmakers must bring the state into compliance with the commission’s latest catch limits for the species. If they don’t, the department said the state will face a moratorium in June.

Such a ban would primarily impact only one company, Omega Protein, although it would affect others that catch the fish in smaller amounts for bait.

Omega Protein has an operation based in Reedville, Virginia, that catches schools of Atlantic menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay as well as in the Atlantic Ocean.

The firm helps to anchor the economy in a rural stretch of Virginia along the bay’s western shoreline. And it has enjoyed support from many of Virginia’s lawmakers over the years.

But in 2017, the interstate commission reduced bay harvest limits for Atlantic menhaden from about 87,000 metric tons to 51,000 metric tons.

Virginia’s legislature didn’t enact the change, and Omega Protein exceeded the cap this year.

The company and lawmakers who support it have said the catch limit is unfair and lacks scientific justification.

Omega Protein said Thursday that it would work with the commission and the state to abide by the latest harvest cap. But the firm also maintained its position that the limit isn’t justified.

The company pointed to the commission’s own coast-wide stock assessment for the species, which says that no overfishing is occurring.

“This is the first time that a moratorium has been placed on a fishery that is not overfished and is healthy by every measure,” the company said.

 

[Capt13]

Recent news on Omega Protein:

Historic Vote on Menhaden Brings Va. into Compliance | Chesapeake Bay Magazine

After a tumultuous few years for menhaden management in Virginia, the state will avoid a moratorium on all menhaden fishing as it finally comes into compliance with the East Coast states’ fishery…

chesapeakebaymagazine.com