[Bob Allen]

The Governor of VA, Governor Kaine, and the Governor of Maryland agreed to a 35 % reduction in harvests of female crabs in Chesapeake Bay in a final, last ditch effort to stop the long decline in harvestable Blue Crabs. The efforts are to save the Crabbers from themselves. Crabbers do not appreciate the efforts of many dedicated Chespeake Bay folks, to save the Chesapeake Blue Crab.

A Bill has been introduced as the first salvo in the battle to allow commercial crabbers to again abuse the resource that has povided them with a livlihood for generations. Save the crabbers from themselves.

Telephone the Governor of Va: Tim Kaine 804-786 2211 and request that the Governor support his agreement= charging VMRC to reduce commercial crab harvests last year .

The way to support VMRC and the future of the Blue Crab harvesters is to oppose Senate Bill 1087 which has passed the Senate despite much opposition and gone to the House...Even if he has to veto the bill if passed by the House.....

This bill, by Democratic Senator John Miller of Newport News is an insult to the VMRC and the Governor. It will set VA marine fisheries progress at VMRC back 30 years.

Ask the Governor to step up to the plate and get this bill defeated.

Bob Allen
Hampton VA

 

[litehook1]

What is the wording of this bill by John Miller?My Buddy has 6000 dollars worth of
dredge rigging sitting idle this winter ,had to outfit his boat to harvest oysters.
What does this bill want to accomplish,letting them catch more crabs?

 

[Bob Allen]

The bill is to add two more seats to the VMRC Commission , one will be a Working Watermen? and the other must hold a crabbing license.... There is at present on the Commission a seat designated for watermen only: Ernie Bowden holds that seat and I have been told holds a crabbing license.

Crabbers are under some belief that they have been mistreated by VMRC , which is doing the Governor's bidding by reducing the crab harvests by 35% last year..


Crabbers believe that adding more watermen members to the VMRC that crab populations will somehow , miraculously rebound???

VA should consider removing all regulations regarding crabbers and let them go at it.

When all the crabs from VA are gone...and that will not take long....we can import plenty of low cost crabmeat from Vietnam.

Bob Allen looking out for the crabbers....

 

[litehook1]

How many seats are on this commission now?
Will adding 2 seats give the waterman a majority on this commission,
i don't think so.I don't think by adding 2 seats to waterman, that it
will devastate crab populations.they are already regulated to the point
most have to get side jobs,to make ends meet.I will tell my buddies you are
looking out for them.

 

[Bob Allen]

Just a few years ago , all 8 seats were held by commercial watermen.

VMRC spends most of their time now with Habitat issues...sand dunes, undersea grasses, keeping statistics for NMFS, encrochments on State owned bottom, pier and jetty requests, dredging, waterfront land owner issues and disputes, marina, Homeland security, water quality, seafood marketing, some minor recreational and commercial rules and regs.

Now the VMRC has a scientist, a couple of politicians, a recreational representative(designated), a commercial waterman (designated), an Easterm Shore nurseryman and another who owns and operates a commercial seafood packing operation on the waterfront in NN. ....I cannot remember all but you can look on the VMRC website and find out about all of them.

Virginia MRC deals with lots more issues than merely crab regulations. One only has to attend the monthly, all day meetings of the VMRC . Most of the day is spent with the issues described above...a little time in the afternoon is dedicated to fisheries issues.

Three surveys (one released by NOAA last week) confirmed that 80% of financial impact by commercial seafood in VA comes from harvest of Scallops, Surfclams, and flounder. All of these are managed not by VMRC but under National Marine Fisheries rules and regulations as all of them are harvested outside of VA Territorial waters...The most recent 10 year study is available on NOAA website.

To deal with these complex issues it takes some pretty smart guys...and the VMRC now has those folks. There is a good balance of intelligent folks , who can listen to an argument and figure out what is the correct action to take. I , and a lot of others, consider this Senate Bill 1087 an attempt to change the balance in the VMRC .

We will do what we can to keep VA from going backwards 30 years.

The heyday of crabbing and oystering in VA are OVER !!

The owner of the last remaining crab picking house on the waterfront in Hampton publicly declared at a VMRC hearing that the quality of crabs coming from Ches Bay was INFERIOR to what he could get from NC and other points south. The market for the poor harvest of VA that local crabbers delivered was unsatisfactory....that was over a year ago...

The local crab picker was already importing crabs from more southern states...

Where do you think the crabmeat comes from now???

RBA

 

[dwilliamsceg]

All the politics and the causes aside, the folks that could really use the bail out money are the crabbers who have had their livelihood taken from them. I know that it is partly their fault but these men should get some of the bail out rather than the scum in NY. It would be like the government telling me that I cannot work on computers for 3 months each year.

 

[warbird-7]

Some of the crabbers are getting assistance...i.e.bailout. Currently there
are some crabbers that have been fitted out with side-scan sonar dragging
around grappnel hooks to snag 'Ghost Pots' from the bottom.
I've been told they're paid $300.00 per day plus all fuel is paid for.
The ones that got in on this deal had to show earnings and activity for 2007.

 

[dwilliamsceg]

Some of the crabbers are getting assistance...i.e.bailout. Currently there
are some crabbers that have been fitted out with side-scan sonar dragging
around grappnel hooks to snag 'Ghost Pots' from the bottom.
I've been told they're paid $300.00 per day plus all fuel is paid for.
The ones that got in on this deal had to show earnings and activity for 2007.

I am aware of that project and am glad to hear it but I am still disgusted by the welfare activities for white collar criminals in the economic industry.

Here is an article from today - FT.com / US & Canada - Obama slams Wall Street over bonuses

I guess the crabbers need to form a PAC and contribute to political campaigns to be really taken care of.

 

[stanleybros]

For what it's worh..

"The VMRC is charged with the responsibility of managing our public marine resources for the benefit of all Virginians."

Our Mission: The Marine Resources Commission serves as stewards of Virginia's marine and aquatic resources, and protectors of its tidal waters and homelands, for present and future generations.

"VMRC spends most of their time now with Habitat issues...sand dunes, undersea grasses, keeping statistics for NMFS, encrochments on State owned bottom, pier and jetty requests, dredging, waterfront land owner issues and disputes, marina, Homeland security, water quality, seafood marketing, some minor recreational and commercial rules and regs."

Minor? Let's remember this next time recreational creel limits and slots are discussed on this forum: the rules and regulations are all "minor."

 

[Tom Powers]

The legislation was changed. It now says add two seats that are working commercial fishermen. I included it below.

Currently two of the Commissioners hold commercial fishing licenses Ernie Bowden and Kyle Shick. Rick Robbins owns Bernie's Conchs and is a buyer at a major seafood company. That is 38% of the Associate Commissioners.

If this law were to go into effect 5 of 10 or 1/2 of the Associate Commissioners would have direct interests commercial fishing.

Crabbers are also being paid to do cull ring studies and there is also a buyout program in the wings for folks that are interested in getting out of the fishery.

Here is the important paragraph in the bill.

§ 28.2-102. Commission membership; chairman; qualifications; terms; meetings.
A. The Commission shall consist of a chairman and 10 (was 8) additional members who, to the extent possible, shall be representative of all areas of interest in Virginia's marine resources, including commercial, recreational and environmental interests. At least three members (was one) shall, at the time of their appointment, have earned their livelihood for at least five years by working on Virginia waters and shall be licensed and registered as a commercial fisherman as defined in § 28.2-241, and one member shall be a representative of the sport fishing industry or a recreational fisherman who is not employed by the commercial fishing industry. The members, including the chairman, shall be appointed by the Governor and shall serve at his pleasure. An effort shall be made to include representation of diverse fisheries by the appointments of commercial fishermen to the Commission.

 

[stanleybros]

Bob Allen: "The bill is to add two more seats to the VMRC Commission , one will be a Working Watermen? and the other must hold a crabbing license....

Hmmmmmmm, I don't see that requirement in the information Tom Posted.

More propaganda?

 

[Tom Powers]

The confusion is understandable. The original bill did say one crabber and one member of the Virginia Watermen's association. The bill was amended in the Senate Committee on Monday to what I posted.

Here is a link so that you can see how it was modified.

Original bill

Bill Tracking - 2009 session > Legislation

Amended bill

Bill Tracking - 2009 session > Legislation

 

[stanleybros]

Amended Billroposed by the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
on January 26, 2009)

Bob's response was on the 29th.

He wasn't sleep for 3 days.