The petitioner's request is as follows: "This petition requests rulemaking by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) for a managed recreational Hickory Shad fishery in Chesapeake Bay waters and coastal rivers and their tributaries within Virginia with a daily creel limit informed by and adjusted based on best available data. The requested regulation would be part of existing VMRC fisheries management for Alosine species and is needed to conserve the Hickory Shad stock by replacing unrestricted recreational harvesting with a controlled fishery. Unrestricted take exposes this species to overharvesting and diminishes the contribution of Virginia coastal river spawners to species abundance.

Petition objectives are to conserve the Hickory Shad species in Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay waters and tributaries, sustain its contribution to species abundance of the East Coast stock, maintain a quality recreational fishery, and support shad and herring restoration plans.

The proposed fishery management action is for non-indigenous recreational fishing only. It would not alter commercial fishing regulations or the fishing rights of Native Americans who habitually reside on an Indian reservation or are members of a Virginia-recognized tribe who reside in the Commonwealth."

The Marine Resources Commission, as required by Virginia law, is submitting notice of the petition for publication in the Virginia Register of Regulations and announcing a public comment period. Following receipt of comments on the petition, the Commission will consider whether to grant or deny the petition for rulemaking.

Environmental Impact: 

1. No evidence for a need for fisheries management measures at this time.
2. Hickory shad differ from American shad in life history traits which means their populations are not subject to the same pressures.
3. Anecdotal data from the VIMS Alosine Monitoring Program suggests a relatively consistent run of Hickory shad through time.
4. Beginning in 2025, biological data for all individual Hickory shad encountered in the Alosine Monitoring Program will be collected to develop a time series for an index of abundance. If this index shows negative trends on the spawning stock, appropriate management measures could be implemented at that time.

Economic Considerations: 

1. The petition has the potential to create unintended economic and social consequences for the end user of these fisheries products. 

2. A comprehensive economic impact assessment would need to be considered to determine the impact of management measures to the communities that harvest Hickory shad.