By james art 
Roanoke, WFXR (WFXR) – The debate about whether to fund a study of the Atlantic Menhaden’s Status in Chesapik Bay will again be taken at the Virginia General Assembly. Measures to study the type of fodder, vital to almost every fish on the Atlantic coast, are derailled in past sessions, the most last year when a study proposal was submitted.
Two proposals were introduced in this session. Paul Milde (R-Stafford). Bill 2713 of Virginia House 2713 (HB2713) will require the Institute of Marine Science Virginia to conduct a three -year study of the number of Menhaden in the part of Virginia from the Bay of Chesapiq, as well as the impact of the various fishing on the population of Menhaden. Milde also introduced a budget amendment to finance the study.
“There are no contemporary studies of Menhaden’s population in the bay,” Del Mild said. “It makes sense that we need to find out where we are actually with menhaden and whether there are any links between rock fish populations, Osprey populations and Menhaden’s catch.”
Fishing and protection groups suggest that fishing for industrial reductions for Menhaden has influenced their number and has led to adverse effects on fish, water mammals and birds that depend on Menhaden for feed.
Virginia is the only country on the Atlantic coast that allows fishing for industrial reductions in the mouth as Chesapik. Only one company based in Raymille Omega Protein/Ocean Harvesters practices Menhaden’s industrial reduction fishing in the bay.
Omega says the number of Menhaden is strong and resistant. The company indicates studies throughout the coast to support this claim.
“The ocean crops, the leading Menhaden combines on the east coast, have a long history of support for research,” said company spokesman Ben Landri in a statement. “There were over 15 or more significant Menhaden research projects this century, in which we proudly supported or participated.”
However, there were no recent studies on the number of Menhaden in Chesapike.
Landry says every study should take into account the migrating nature of Menhaden:
“As it concerns Chesapike Bay, we believe that researchers and regulators need to understand the dynamics of the population of Menhaden in and outside the bay; However, this task is difficult. In 2021, the ASMFC Menhaden Technical Committee developed a plan to study Menhaden in the bay over time as the population changed as they seasonally migrated. It is exhaustive and takes a thoughtful approach to answer this important question. “
Milde says that if localized research shows a strong number, then it has a small problem with fishing, but he says that knowledge is the difficult part and has to be done to evaluate a resource vital to Virginia’s economy. He says the information that the survey would provide is needed by Virginia fishing managers in order to understand and manage the resources better.
The study will cost $ three million, but the impact of sports and commercial fishing, as well as wildlife, and tourism is in common billions.
“Let’s do a Menhaden survey of $ three million to find out if we crush an ecosystem that produces much more than tax revenue, total revenue and economic revenue is not a difficult solution,” Mild said. “This is a small investment for something so important.