Apparently a W&M study group also is involved in an Osprey vs crow problem. In this case, crows are supposedly killing nesting baby Osprey in and around the Lynnhaven River in order to feed baby crows. Altho menhaden and crows are two different issues since the Lynnhaven River has no menhaden problems because of no commercial fishing, the end result for the two neighboring Tidewater area Osprey populations will be exactly the same, i.e. one group will be dying off because of starvation unless man steps in for a 3O- day menhaden fishing restriction to prevent this from happening, and the other river located Osprey families will be decimated, dying off because crows apparently are killing their young unless the W&M study can prove otherwise.

Man is God in both of these cases. Why then would VMRC make any decision, particularly when only 30 days are concerned, when without that 30 day restriction, it is known a great majority of Osprey will die of starvation.

I urge the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to begin a regulatory process to determine the appropriate depth of purse seines in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and areas where this gear is not appropriate due to depth and/or other important resources. Recent net spills have highlighted the need to have regulations that better protect Virginias marine resources.

The size and scale of the menhaden reduction fleet continues to raise significant questions about its effects on the menhaden population in Chesapeake Bay.

Setting such regulations could help simply ensure that other Bay resources not targeted by this fishery will not be negatively affected by this resource.