TO: SENATORS WEBB and WARNER: SUPPORT A FISHERY RESOURCE DISASTER!
Send emails to Virginia's US Senators asking them to support the decision for a Fishery Resource Disaster here in the Commonwealth of Virginia!
Senator Webb's Contact Page
Please copy and paste the following in your email to Senator Webb or add your own:
The Honorable Tim Webb
Dear Senator Webb,
As you are aware, Governor Kaine has requested that US Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez perform a disaster assistance evaluation pertaining to Virginia’s Blue Crab fishery and ultimately declare a Fishery Resource Disaster.
I urge you to support Secretary Gutierrez in his decision. Any funds resulting from such a declaration would help to offset the financial losses suffered by the Virginia Watermen as new regulations, loss of habitat, and rising fuel costs greatly inhibit the watermen’s ability to earn a living.
Additionally, I would like for you to know that I support and Virginia waterman, the work of the Virginia Watermen's Association (http://virginiawaterman.org/), and a clean healthy Bay. Please help to preserve these cultural and natural resources that are vital to Virginia.
Sincerely
Senator Warner's Contact Page
Please copy and paste the following in your email to Senator Warner or add your own:
The Honorable John Warner
Dear Senator Warner,
As you are aware, Governor Kaine has requested that US Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez perform a disaster assistance evaluation pertaining to Virginia’s Blue Crab fishery and ultimately declare a Fishery Resource Disaster.
I urge you to support Secretary Gutierrez in his decision. Any funds resulting from such a declaration would help to offset the financial losses suffered by the Virginia Watermen as new regulations, loss of habitat, and rising fuel costs greatly inhibit the watermen’s ability to earn a living.
Additionally, I would like for you to know that I support and Virginia waterman, the work of the Virginia Watermen's Association (http://virginiawaterman.org/), and a clean healthy Bay. Please help to preserve these cultural and natural resources that are vital to Virginia.
Sincerely
I have a commercial license with 100 crab pots. I do not want any funds generated from this to go to watermen. We can make our own way. All the money and more should go to cleaning the bay. All the private leach-field septic systems within 50 miles (VA, MD, & DE) should be replaced with engineered systems (maybe give priority for part-time jobs to do such a monumental task to the most heavily effected watermen) and some money should go to individuals who can't afford the "total" cost (everyone must pay atleast 60%) of putting in an engineered system. Restrictions should be tightened on agricultural application of chemicals and public septic system must produce "clean" effluent. Come up with a way to reduce th effects of rock fish on the crabs.
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This is the letter i sent via the two Senator's websites you posted above:
On May 2,2008,Governor Kaine requested that US Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez perform a disaster assistance evaluation pertaining to Virginia’s Blue Crab fishery and ultimately declare a Fishery Resource Disaster.
On April 28,2008 VMRC at one single meeting voted,approving legislation that took away FIVE MONTHS of the Virginia licensed commercial watermen's right to crab and also requires further restrictions on individuals in the commercial fishery next year,
a 30% reduction in the amount of gear that commercial crabbers can use.
This takes away from "full time" watermen the right to work for five months of the year in the way that for some of them they have been doing for many years.
This is a very quick,strict and severe legislative measure affecting
commercial crabbers.
My husband has been fishing and crabbing for 30 years.I don't know what is possible for you to do but perhaps you would give this subject some thought and consideration.
I will close in saying again that
the April 2008 VMRC legislation is a very quick,strict and severe legislative move against full time watermen in Virginia.
Ana Sanford
Eastern Shore,Va.
The following is from the VMRC website:
VMRC meeting 4/28/08 - audio item 13
13. PUBLIC HEARING: Consideration of proposed regulations for the 2008 crabbing season. The Commission voted 7-2, with associate members Ernie Bowden and Wayne McLeskey against, for a series of regulation changes designed to cut the crab harvest by 34 percent this year, to provide for a more stable and sustainable blue crab population. That was done by abolishing the winter dredge fishery, closing the fall season for female crabs on Oct. 27 (five weeks early) eliminating the five-pot recreational crab license, requiring two additional, and larger, cull rings on crab pots and reducing the number of hard crab pots per license by 15 percent as of May 1 and another 15 percent next year, and reducing the number of peeler pots per license by 30 percent on May 1. The Commission also agreed to ask for any state financial aid for dredgers who will be out of work this winter due to the regulation change.
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Today I recieved an email from Senator Webb in response to the letter I wrote directing me to a May 29 "press release" on his website.
If anyone is interested in reading it the link is
http://webb.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=298542.
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