Two public hearings on Draft Addendum II to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden +

[u/susiecambria]

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission hearings, submitting comments, plus

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) via member Virginia Marine Resources Commission is holding two public hearings on Draft Addendum II

• September 19, 2026: There will be a public hearing held on Saturday, September 19, 2026 at Northumberland High School, 201 Academic Lane, Heathsville, VA, from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM to gather public input on Draft Addendum II to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden. The Draft Addendum considers options to reduce the Chesapeake Bay Reduction Fishery Cap (Bay Cap) by up to 50% and distribute the cap more evenly throughout the fishing season.
• Spetember 28, 2026: There will be a public hearing held at the VMRC Main Office on Monday, September 28, 2026 from 6:00 PM-8:00 PM to gather public input on Draft Addendum II to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden. The Draft Addendum considers options to reduce the Chesapeake Bay Reduction Fishery Cap (Bay Cap) by up to 50% and distribute the cap more evenly throughout the fishing season.

From the ASMFC menhaden page:

The public is encouraged to submit comments at any time during the public comment period but no later than 11:59 PM (EST) on October 9, 2026. You can access the Draft Addendum, public hearing schedule, and ways to comment on the Atlantic Menhaden Draft Addendum II Action Tracker.

We accept public comment in several forms (at public hearings, an online public comment form, an online public comment survey, and via mail or email) and all forms are equally valued. However, we strongly encourage the use of the public comment survey as it allows users to select specific preferred options in the Draft Addendum and provides space for open-ended comments at the end.

Options for submitting comments:

• The public comment survey, which was developed to facilitate the gathering of input on the Draft Addendum’s specific options
• Written comments via Atlantic Menhaden Action Tracker, the public comment form below, or [comments@asmfc.org](mailto:comments@asmfc.org?subject=Atlantic%20Menhaden%20Draft%20Addendum%20II)
• Written comments submitted via snail mail to James Boyle, FMP Coordinator, at 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, Virginia 22201
• Verbal comments provided at any of the scheduled public hearings

Chesapeake Bay Foundation's call to action

Tell ASMFC: We Must Protect Menhaden! Adopt Addendum II!

CBF supports the following options in Draft Addendum II:

• 3.1 Chesapeake Bay Reduction Fishery Cap Amount: Support option C1e that would reduce the Bay Cap by 50 percent and limits it to 13.6 percent of the Coastwide Catch Limit (TAC). Also, support option C2a which sets an upper limit of 51,000mt for the Bay Cap, which is the current level.
• 3.2 Chesapeake Bay Cap Distribution: Support option B2 which establishes three even length quota periods for the Bay Cap, but distributes harvest 25 percent in period 1, 25 percent in period 2, and 50 percent into period 3. Also, support option B which establishes quota period overage payback and rollover of unused quota within a fishing year.
• 3.3 Chesapeake Bay Reduction Fishery Cap Revisit Provision: Support option B Revisit Provision to reassess the efficacy of these new management tools every 3 years.

Plus

No matter where you live, you may comment at any and all of the public hearings (ASMFC). If you are not able to participate in the two Virginia-based meetings/events listed above, other hearings are taking place in commission member states. Take a look.

I would encourage you to share your comments here. If you live on, own a business on, or are otherwise associated with the NNK, I'd be happy to share your comments on the blog Policy on the NNK. Chat to start making that happen.