NK, CC herring fishermen oppose state moratorium

A moratorium on herring fishing, closing the season to both recreational and commercial fishermen, could be on the horizon in Virginia. And fishermen in both New Kent and Charles City counties are determined to block such a measure.

But apparently restrictions of some sort are on the way in response to what state officials say is a definite decline in herring population. Last Wednesday night, a group of more than two dozen local fishermen meeting at the Charles City government center learned they should be prepared.

Jack Travelstead, a deputy commissioner with the Virginia Marine Resources Commission that governs fishing in tidal waters, urged fishermen to submit written alternatives they can live with to try to head off a moratorium.

“It’s a huge hammer over the head of our state,” Travelstead told the group. “We’re being forced to adopt regulations, but mostly it’s for a good reason.”

Somewhat reluctantly, local fishermen plan to follow Travelstead’s advice. A follow-up meeting is scheduled for June 9 at 7 p.m. in the Charles City government building to discuss possible action. The meeting is open to all fishermen and the general public.

“Don’t think the status quo is the answer,” Travelstead said, noting that the current policy of no state regulations on herring fishing may soon become a thing of the past.

Each spring, hundreds of recreational herring fishermen flock to tidal waters for the annual spawning run. The fish spend most of their adult lives in salt water where many are netted commercially, but return to fresh water to spawn.

The herring run takes place along the entire East Coast from Maine to Florida, and the 15 states involved fall under regulation by the federal Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). A 45-member board comprised of three voting members from each state governs the commission.

Already, Travelstead said, four of the 15 states — Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and North Carolina — have a herring moratorium in place. Two states, Maine and South Carolina, are strongly opposed, he added.

For now, four options are on the table as outlined in a “public information document” issued last October by the ASMFC. Two are the extremes, imposing a moratorium on all herring fishing or taking no action. In between are requiring licenses/permits for fishing and reducing the fishing effort by implementing catch limits.

A public hearing on the document was held in January in Newport News, but few people attended, Travelstead said. Written public comment on options, however, is being accepted until late August or early September. Then comes another public hearing to be held in Charles City in late summer or early fall.

Information will then be forwarded to a River Herring Management Board comprised of ASMFC representatives who will meet in late fall in Rehoboth, Del. The board votes on options preferred by members and the decision becomes what is dubbed “Amendment 2” to the agency’s River Herring Fishery Management Plan. Federal law requires all states to abide by provisions adopted by the ASMFC.

“There will be options in the management plan, but where you lose options is after the ASMFC acts,” Travelstead said.

Virginia’s three representatives — Catherine Davenport from the Northern Neck, General Assembly Del. Linwood Lewis from the Eastern Shore, and Travelstead who votes by proxy for the VMRC commissioner — remain undecided on the issue.

“I will support some sort of regulation, but I have not decided yet,” Travelstead told the group. “I want to hear from you and know what you can live with.”

Fishermen at last week’s meeting complained that they are being unfairly targeted. Other factors, including increased numbers of catfish and striped bass feeding on herring and beaver dams blocking spawning streams, are responsible for herring decline, they said.

They also expressed dismay that no population studies exist on herring. Data used by officials who point to declines are based only on reported catches.

The number of herring harvested shows a steep decline from peaks in the mid-sixties before leveling off in the late seventies. Since then, numbers have remained relatively flat. Mandatory reporting for catches, however, did not begin until 1993.

Fishermen agreed that herring catches have been improving in recent years. They also said that if a moratorium were imposed, not only the sport but also businesses that cater to the sport would be adversely impacted.

Travelstead said no single factor has led to the herring’s decline. Losses of habitat, poor water quality, and offshore commercial fishing have contributed to the problem, he said. What must happen now is determining how to address the issue, he added.

“Don’t come to us with some weak regulation that does nothing,” he told the fishermen. “Don’t come in with a daily limit of 1,000 fish and say that will protect the species.

“You need to come up with limits you can live with and propose those. You can’t come in and say you don’t want a moratorium,” he added.

Travelstead promised to pass on all written alternatives and suggestions to the ASMFC’s herring management board.

“But even then,” he said, “I can’t guarantee you there won’t be a moratorium.”