The ASMFC ERP science says striped bass and ospreys are the most "sensitive" species to menhaden harvests. This means they suffer first and worst when there is not enough menhaden left in the bay's waters. For years now these two iconic species have suffered the worst thing a species can suffer - reproductive failure- that ERP science alone should be enough for the MRC to act favorably on the reasonable controls sought in the Petition. The MRC should be protecting the welfare of the general public in both of our states that use and treasure our bay. The bay is the greatest natural resource our people and their children, millions of them, have. Thousands of schools of menhaden are being caught in Virginia just before they migrate to Maryland to feed our wildlife. In October 2021, over three years ago, I  brought a letter to you from the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus, thirty Senators and Delegates, that represent millions of Marylanders, imploring you to stop the factory fishing in the bay. They asked you to act as a equal partner in Chesapeake Bay. They asked you to be fair to Maryland and treat Maryland with the respect due to a partner. If you recall we did not get very far with the MRC that day and have not since despite the efforts of many concerned individuals and groups.  Maryland outlawed factory fishing in the bay and its coastal areas to protect its environment and fishermen seventy years ago. We can't control what happens in Virginia but you can.

I would like to say a few things about the ospreys that are the most visible evidence we have of what's really going on. Dr Watts and his colleagues at William and Mary did an experiment where they supplemented feeding, about one pound of menhaden every three days, to ospreys raising chicks. There was a control group of nests that was not supplemented. One pound of menhaden is the equivalent of two three-year-old menhaden. Ospreys are said to have a hunting range of about nine miles from the nest. There is about 14 hours of daylight in May. So, in a nine mile radius of the 510 nests studied the parents flew for over 30 hours over three days searching but were unable to find even the three menhaden needed to keep their babies from starving. Since ospreys are very skilled hunters and menhaden are a surface schooling fish that means to me there were 510 tidewater areas in Virginia and Maryland where there was no menhaden. Since these areas are a very large sample. they represent the best scientific evidence of menhaden depletion bay wide that is available. As you know the rule at the ASMFC and in Virginia law Section 28.2-203 (2.)  is that you are to manage the fishery using " the best scientific .....information available" and not wait for more data or more research. The peer reviewed journal article on Supplemental feeding is in the Frontiers in Marine Science journal April 2023 . I hope you will refer to it.

      In conclusion, so many years have gone by now and I think we all know that the fishery machinery and spotter planes and the purse seine netters have the capacity to overwhelm our menhaden resource and they have. This is the same thing that has happened to the herring forage and the cod fishing on the Grand Banks. When we mention that the factory fishing should just be three miles off the coast to protect the bay and the menhaden we hear excuses why that can't be done, one after another. Its interesting that  cod fishermen travel up to 1,000 miles ( at about eight knots) from Boston and Gloucester Mass to the fishing grounds off of Labrador.in boats a fraction the size of the Omega ships. They can be at sea for weeks.  They have done that for over two hundred years into some of the worst weather and sea conditions anywhere. Compare this to Atlantic menhaden fishing where almost all of it is caught within 10 miles of the coast of the relatively calm mid Atlantic. Please give this some thought. thank you   Tom Lilly