It’s Official: Stripers are Virginia’s No. 1 Saltwater Fish

The striped bass, long a favorite of Chesapeake Bay anglers and seafood lovers, has been the official state fish of Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and South Carolina for years.

This week, Virginia’s General Assembly made stripers the official saltwater fish of the Old Dominion as well. The popular Morone saxatilis, also called rockfish, joins the brook trout, Virginia’s official freshwater fish, in the Commonwealth’s pantheon of official critters.

That should please the 4th-graders at Spratley Gifted Center in Hampton, Va., who took on lobbying for striped bass as a class project and made two trips to Richmond over the past month to talk directly to state legislators about the fish.

A group of students from Michele Ferrel’s classroom testified before two legislative committees about the virtues of the noble rockfish and the problems it faces from disease, pollution, and reduced food stocks.

The fish legislation, sponsored by Hampton Senator John Miller, cleared its final hurdle Tuesday when it passed the Virginia House of Delegates on an 80-16 vote (it had been approved by the state Senate earlier this month). But the House victory didn’t come without a mighty struggle. Another fish, the lowly menhaden, nearly ate the striper’s lunch, which is ironic because in nature it’s the other way around.

It seems scores of delegates, led by Del. Jackson Miller, R-Manassas, preferred that menhaden, a small,  oily fish not typically consumed by humans, should be the Commonwealth’s official saltwater fish. Menhaden eat plankton and therefore help filter and clear water in the Bay. They also serve as prey for larger fish, birds, and mammals, and they are the basis for a lucrative commercial reduction fishery based in Reedville, Va.  Del. Miller offered an amendment to substitute menhaden for striped bass, and the debate was on. Read about it here.

The vote on the menhaden amendment was about as close as it gets – 48 to 49, or one vote shy of carrying the day – but after its narrow defeat, the majority of delegates endorsed Sen. Miller’s striped bass designation, and it was done.

Back in Hampton, Ms. Ferrel’s 4th graders were largely oblivious to the drama playing out 80 miles away until they got a telephone call from Sen. Miller.

“We were quite excited when we heard,” Ms. Ferrel says. “The senator called and explained all of the ‘hoopla’ that went on. I never would have thought an amendment would have been made to change the fish. I was blown away!”

So were her students.

“The kids were equally shocked that someone would try to derail our endeavor,” she said. “Luckily, it all worked out in the end! Now we look forward to meeting the governor” when he signs the legislation into law.

Regular Bay Daily readers know that menhaden have been the subject of intense debate in Virginia and Maryland, not so much to make it an official state fish but to better gauge the health and sustainability of the Chesapeake Bay’s menhaden population and how best to manage it. That debate will no doubt continue, as it should.

But for now, all hail Striped Bass, the official saltwater fish of Virginia…thanks to a bunch of enterprising and committed 4th-graders from Hampton.

Chuck Epes
Chesapeake Bay Foundation

[Photos: top, courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; middle, copyright Sandra Zoellner; bottom, CBF]

Comments

[Tanner]

I didn't catch enough this year :(

[Jeff]

Good artical its interesting to see what is going on around the country when it comes to fishing.

[spoobiaideali]

Tips That will Enable you to Enjoy Your Trip

Whenever you get Louis Vuitton Outlet Store
to create an excellent journey plan, it definitely does spend off. You've saved a lot of funds by preparing out things like transportation, to ensure that you'll be able to take pleasure in your getaway with a little added cash in your pocket. Like with any program, you may generally include and increase. Below are some strategies to help.

When it happens time for you to start organizing a trip, you may wonder where to start. There are lots of issues to think about before you essentially go around the trip. The recommendations within this write-up can give you with what you will need to understand to properly plan for the next traveling experience.

A common error that many travelers make on getaway is undertaking too much. Vacations are about relaxing and obtaining absent in the rush in the every day planet. Preparing occasions that encompass most hrs in the day will leave you experiencing rushed, stressed and exhausted even though on your journey. Cease and unwind for a couple of hours daily to decompress.

For anyone who is traveling canada goose parka
abroad, you could would like to consult a health practitioner about what vaccinations are recommended. Unique areas of the globe have diverse ailments and you usually choose to be prepared for what you will be walking into. There are many vaccinations available which can preserve you safe.

Try making use of the roll technique for packing clothing into your bags for the journeys. This frequently saves a lot more room and time than with usually folding the clothes. You could even match extra clothes within your bag this fashion. By rolling the clothing up in tissue paper, you may also prevent them from acquiring too a lot of wrinkles.

[spoobiaideali]

Are you one of those individuals who cannot cook to save your life? Have you burned water or spilled an entire carton of milk? Do not worry -- cooking is simple, and this article is here to show you how! Read on to locate out very simple suggestions to help you cook much better!

It's a fantastic idea to cook your green vegetables in boiling hot water. In case you location the veggies in cold water and wait for it to come to a boil you may Louis Vuitton Sale
loads of the green color since the chlorophyll in them will leech into the water.

Freeze overripe bananas. You do not must throw out brown bananas. If they are overripe prior to you could eat them, just freeze them for later. Overripe bananas are still great for smoothies. You'll be able to even use them as an ingredient in baked goods like banana bread or muffins.

Shop your home-baked goodies and leftovers that need refrigeration in square or rectangular-shaped storage containers. Round containers are terrific, but take up precious refrigerator space although square and rectangular containers make essentially the most with the limited shelf space. Rectangular storage containers also are simpler to stack and store and save on space in your cupboards too.

As you are able to see, cooking isn't so challenging as you might have created it out to be. As long as you stick with very simple recipes and follow the straightforward strategies laid out in this article, you are going to be cooking like a pro and saving your self dollars on food in no time.
Cooking Tips For Your On The Go Way of life

Have you often wanted to turn out to be a superior cook? You can find lots of suggestions and ideas on how you can increase your approach in cooking. Understanding tips on how to cook much better timberland
enjoy it additional can boost the good quality of life for you and your loved ones. Read this post for some neat suggestions that cooks of all expertise levels can use.