Purse seine fishing has been taking place in the Chesapeake Bay for over 100 years.  The accusations that purse seine nets destroy the seabed of the Chesapeake Bay is a complete lack of knowledge of how a purse sein nets works.  A purse sein net only fishes the depth of the weight that is dropped that holds the net down.  There is no one in the business of catching menhaden with a purse sein net that allows their net to drag the bottom of the seabed.  Doing so would pose a direct threat to the net with unknown objects on the bottom that could tear the net and cause a crew to have to return to port with no income.

In the 30 plus years that I have been associated with the purse sein business, I have never seen a crab, flounder, oyster or seabed grass in one of these nets, which would indicate that the net was scraping the bottom.  In the very few times that a purse sein net has been torn it has been from an object that is vertically raised off the bottom 5 feet or more.

I ask that each person that will be reading through the public comments associated with this petition, please take the time to educate yourselves on how purse seining works and understand why it is crucial to everyone involved in the purse sein business, that the nets do not come in contact with the seabed.

Thank you!