I support this petition fully. I urge VMRC to consider the science from William & Mary that is revealing the drastic diminishment of osprey chicks over the last couple of years, a clear warning sign that the Bay's already compromised ecological balance is tipping even further away from health -- indeed, the survival rate for osprey chicks is so low that it approaches the ecological crisis that woke us up in the 1960s regarding the impact of DDT on bald eagles and ospreys. I understand there are competing interests in this issue, but there will be fewer and fewer marine resources for Omega protein to harvest and for VMRC to manage if we continue to disregard these clear signals of imbalance. This petition is a reasonable first step towards restoration of the menhaden populations in the Bay -- and the Bay itself. Thank you.

Leslie Middleton, Charlottesville, VA