Menhaden - Stop Industrial Fishing - Kick Canada Out of the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia Water

Описание: Dear President Trump,

We loved your Truth Social post about menhaden fishing in Virginia

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTr...

And therefore ask of you..........

We the people of Virginia are asking you and Secretary of Commerce, Honorable Howard Lutnick to sign an Executive Order to require Cooke Seafood, a Canadian Company, from removing menhaden on an industrial scale from the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia Water.

Background. 

Virginia Saltwater Sportfishing Association (VSSA) Is a grassroots, 501 (c)3 non-profit organization in Virginia, we are dedicated to advocating for a healthy saltwater fishery and responsible management of our marine resources.Menhaden Position.  Our position on menhaden is that the massive menhaden reduction industry should be moved out of the bay until science can show it is not causing harm.  https://joinvssa.org/

There are growing concerns about localized depletion, bycatch, damage to the ecosystem, including potential impacts on striped bass, osprey, cobia and others, and a long history of damaging net spills. They currently harvest up to 112,000,000 pounds annually from the most important estuary and nursery on the East Coast. This is simply unacceptable.  While menhaden are not considered “overfished”, this is a coast wide designation and has nothing to do with conditions in the bay. 

We continue to support the much smaller Menhaden Bait industry, which helps crabbers and recreational anglers.

We also call on all politicians to stop taking donations from this Canadian owned company.

Finally, we call on the industry and the Youngkin administration to actively support research on these critical forage fish.  Our efforts thus far have proven futile as Virginia continues to allow the industrial scale removal of menhaden which as resulted in a significant decline in the health and marine life in the Chesapeake Bay.

We are not asking to put anyone out of the job.  We are simply asking for responsible fishing moving this fishery out away from our local waters.  

Signed,

The People of Virginia