My name is Mildred Reyes-Ritter, and I am a recreational fisherwoman on Virginia’s Eastern Shore and Chesapeake Bay. I am submitting this comment out of deep concern for the health of our Bay’s ecosystem and the future of the fisheries that so many local families depend on.

Menhaden are a critical forage species that support striped bass, bluefish, red drum, ospreys, and the entire food web of the Chesapeake Bay. Yet Virginia continues to allow large-scale purse-seine reduction fishing in the Bay without adequate Bay-specific science to show that this practice is safe for the ecosystem.

As someone who spends time on the water, I see warning signs firsthand: fewer and smaller schools of menhaden, stressed predator species, and declining fishing opportunities for everyday Virginians. When the forage base collapses, the entire system suffers including local watermen, recreational anglers, small businesses, and families who rely on a healthy Bay for food and income.

Pausing menhaden reduction fishing in the Chesapeake Bay until proper scientific studies are completed is a reasonable, precautionary, and responsible step. Decisions about our natural resources should be based on sound science and long-term sustainability, not short-term economic pressure.

I strongly support this petition and urge the Commonwealth to protect the Chesapeake Bay before the damage becomes irreversible.

Thank you for considering my comment.