After a school of menhaden are caught in a purse seine, the fish are compressed into a tight ball, squeezing liquid from them and expelling waste as the fish struggle and die.  This process generates water pollution. The mass of dying fish is then suctioned into the ship via a powerful vacuum pump where the fish and polluted water are separated.  The fish go into the hold for profit and the polluted water goes over the side.  No other fishery in Virginia uses vacuum pumps on the water.  

Everyone knows that fish emulsion is an excellent fertilizer, but the Chesapeake Bay already has too much nitrogen and phosphorus.  This petition requests the DEQ to regulate this point source discharge under existing state and federal laws.  Billions of dollars and 40 years of effort have already been focused on improving water quality in the Bay. Despite these efforts, attainment goals set for 2025 will likely not be met.  This water quality petition is one other means of helping to protect our bay.