February 19, 2025

1 thought on “CBF Statement on Virginia Menhaden Compliance Decision Delay

  1. Many commercial fishermen, and many other businesses in this country, have a serious problem. Too many chiefs and not enough Indians IN THE GOVERNMENT. Our government exerts controls from many different areas, and they do not agree, so that the businesses so often sometimes even have no idea what real compliance is. Here, apparently a few agencies have input and set regulations so that the menhaden population thrives while being properly fished. That’s great. The problem in so many businesses occurs when there is a fluctuation in the business and the government is too slow to react. Here, it sounds as though part of the government, and Omega are saying that the fish are thriving but moved into the bay. the regulations say Omega can have the menhaden but only if caught outside the bay, where the fish don’t live right now. So in order to comply, the fish thrive too much and overpopulate the bay, and Omega goes out of business ?
    So the government has several different groups that conducts surveys, and does research, and thinks and thinks and thinks. Swell.
    Let’s compare this to a restaurant. Let’s say Kelly’s Pub is on The Town Line of Cape Charles and Cheriton. A fire breaks out. Should Cheriton or Cape Charles F.D. put it out ? If we leave it to the feds, and our legislature, and all parties involved in making the decision, Kelly’s is burned to the ground and a new place is built over it’s ashes long before the gov. makes a decision. All we can say is, sorry Gene ?
    Isn’t the real question, why don’t the ignorant chiefs get out of the way and let someone who works with the industry properly immediately react with the best rapid information and go forward so the gov and the industry comply with each other ? If a mistake is made then recorrect it as soon as possible ? Isn’t that what all businesses do ?
    Isn’t this actually the precise definition of the swamp that so many of us think needs to be eliminated ?
    In my not so humble opinion…….

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