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Senator warns of harms to Virginia fisheries, urges review of Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission role

Senate of Virginia · February 3, 2026

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Summary

Senator Stewart told the committee Virginia is being treated unfairly within the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, citing near-40% cuts to menhaden quotas that risk local jobs; conservation groups urged remaining in the compact while the committee moved to refer the matter to finance for study.

Senator Stewart urged the Senate committee to examine Virginia’s role in the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), saying coordinated coastal management has not treated Virginia fairly and that recent quota decisions threatened local seafood jobs.

Stewart described a recent proposal to cut the menhaden industry quota by 40 percent — which was reduced to 20 percent after intervention — and said the potential loss threatened operations such as the Reedville processing plant and roughly 275 union jobs in the Northern Neck. “The most recent thing that happened was last year, they were gonna cut the menhaden industry by 40 percent, which would have effectively shut down the plant in Reedville,” Stewart said.

Chris Moore of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation urged caution about withdrawing from the ASMFC, arguing the commission provides a unified structure for coastwide fisheries management and noting that fish do not respect state boundaries. Moore said remaining engaged with the commission allows coordinated approaches and technical collaboration.

Senators discussed dues and the best procedural path forward; Senator Stewart suggested referring the matter to the finance committee for more study and potential executive engagement. The committee agreed to refer the bill to finance so the issue can be examined further.