Bluefish Rock Artifical Reef-Approval

[Frank Kearney]

The Bluefish Rock Artificial Reef was approved by VMRC on 22 May 2007. The site of the reef will be about 1 1/2 miles southeast of the original site with no reduction from the original proposed size but changing the location will delay the reef for about 6 months so that VMRC can reapply for a permit in the different location. Thanks to all that sent in their comments to VMRC supporting the reef. VMRC received about 500 comments supporting the reef from recreational anglers.

[Mike Avery]

Thanks for the update. I wanted to attend the meeting but could not make it. I guess the commercial guys won a small battle pushing it east making it more difficult for the small boater.

[Healthy Grin]

Thanks Frank.

[Aguajera]

For a while I thought we had it.

The motion to approve was cast and seconded...then discussion. Ernie Bowden shot back that 10,000 hours in the water told him that moving the reef back one and a half miles would only add about three minutes to a small boat's transit time. He then countermotioned to move the site to the Hancock proposed site.

The board caved in and moved it.

You could hear the wind rush out of the room as recreationals once again were treated like second class citizens in front of the commission.

There were no poker faces in the room. Feelings were visibly etched on faces, pro and con.

Sometimes though you have to take victories in smaller chunks. We lost the original site but the reef size remained the same.


Nelson Ortiz
CCA Peninsula
PSWSFA

[wag23455]

A small victory perhaps, but a noticeable defeat nonetheless.

[Bob Allen]

Well said Nelson: for some reason the Commissioners , lead by Ernie Bowden(gag!!) seem like they cannot just go ahead and select the most safe, the already agreed upon by Corps of engineers site...none of the recommended sites will effect commercials, but for some reason the Commissioners seem they have to offer some "compromise " to the two commercials and the one Omega person who have b een so outspoken against reef construction. . Of course the reef would have been well on the way to being built if it had not been for Commissioner Ernie Bowden's unnecessary substitute motion. .
the real story was the lenthy(2 hour) discussion about the funding for the menhaden study, primarily funded by RFAB money so ASMFC can have science about the effects of Menhaden industrial harvesting inside Ches Bay!!!

BobAllen

[Sandtiger]

The contents of my letter to Travelstead and the other members of the VMRC........... I for one am tired of these guys.

Someone ought to take the two commerical interests here (thery are always the same) to Disneyland and lose them. They'd feel right at home.
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My letter ( and I don't really care who likes it ):
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Again I see the VMRC caved in to Omega (rapers of the bay) and once again we recreationals have to take a back seat. It's too bad that we pump so many millions of dollars more into the economy of Virginia than Omega ever will (their resources are being depleted) and yet we ALWAYS end up in the back seat. Now we have to go thru the approval process again with the Army Corp of Engineers which will delay things another year.

My heartfelt thanks goes out to all the commissioners that supported this measure ...............

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I understand there were over 500 letters sent to the VMRC from recreationals supporting the reef and TWO, yep two, dissenting commercials (not counting Ernie Bowden). What a pitiful bunch we have making decisions.