Knight to introduce Menhaden legislation….again.

Map of Menhaden Landings

Virginia Delegate Barry D. Knight once again has introduced legislation that would put the regulation of menhaden into the hands of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, removing that control from the General Assembly. Currently, menhaden is the only species of fish swimming in Virginia’s saltwaters that isn’t regulated by the VMRC. Along with this bill, Knight has added a second bill that would force menhaden fishing at least three miles off the state coast from North Carolina to Cape Henry, and at least one mile off the coast of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

night, along with Senator Frank W. Wagner and Senator-elect William R. DeSteph Jr. (two of 10 co-patrons on Knight’s legislation), hosted a discussion on menhaden in Virginia Beach. These legislators have taken notice of a movement to ban all purse seine net fishing for menhaden in state waters, including the Chesapeake Bay and coastal waters out to three miles.

The first piece of legislation will remove the regulation from the purview of the General Assembly and give it to the Virginia Marine Resource Center. All marine life regulation is under the purview of the VMRC except the menhaden. We wish to move the menhaden to their purview to have decisions be made based on science. The second piece of legislation will prevent menhaden fishing three miles off the coast of Virginia from NC to Cape Henry and one mile off of the coast of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.