Menhaden reduction fishing; Marine Resources Commission to prohibit in the Chesapeake Bay.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide details on when or how the research will be conducted.

Ban on Menhaden Fishing in Chesapeake Bay

This law stops fishing for menhaden using purse seine boats in the Chesapeake Bay until research shows it does not harm other fish or species that depend on menhaden.

What This Bill Does

• The Marine Resources Commission must stop all menhaden reduction fishing with purse seine boats in the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers.
• Fishing for menhaden can only start again when a study shows it does not hurt other fish or species that need menhaden to survive.

Who It Names or Affects

• Fishermen who use purse seine boats to catch menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay
• The Marine Resources Commission

Terms To Know

menhaden reduction fishing

A type of fishing where large amounts of small fish called menhaden are caught and processed for use as food or oil.

purse seine boats

Boats that use a special net to catch lots of fish at once by surrounding them.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law does not specify when the research will be completed or how long it might take.
• It is unclear if there are any exceptions for small-scale fishing operations.

Official Summary Text

Marine Resources Commission; Chesapeake Bay; menhaden reduction fishing in the Chesapeake Bay prohibited.
Directs the Marine Resources Commission to prohibit all fishing for the purse seine menhaden reduction sector in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries until a determination has been made that research specific to the Chesapeake Bay has demonstrated that the menhaden reduction fishery does not negatively impact other fisheries or menhaden-dependent species. Such determination shall be made by the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources and certified in writing to the Virginia Code Commission.

Current Bill Text

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered
28.2-401.1
, relating to Marine Resources Commission; menhaden reduction fishing in the Chesapeake Bay prohibited.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered
28.2-401.1
as follows:

§
28.2-401.1
. Menhaden reduction fishing in the Chesapeake Bay prohibited.

Notwithstanding any exception provided in
§
28.2-409
or any other provision of law, the Commission shall
prohibit all
fishing for
the purse seine menhaden reduction sector
in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

2. That the provisions of this act shall expire upon the determination by the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources that research specific to the Chesapeake Bay has demonstrated that the menhaden reduction fishery does not negatively impact other fisheries or menhaden-dependent species. The Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources shall certify in writing to the Virginia Code Commission that such contingency has been met.