A petition for rulemaking has been requested by the petitioners for the following:   1.Impose an immediate moratorium on reduction fishing for menhaden within the Chesapeake Bay, or in the alternative, reduce all purse seine fishing within the Chesapeake Bay to 10% of the current total allowable landings, thereby preserving the bait-fishery, to remain in place until completion and peer review of the ongoing ASMFC single-species and ecological reference point benchmark stock assessments.  2. Limit purse seine fishing in state waters to no more than 25% of Virginia's current total allowable landings (approximately 39,000 metric tons, of the 156,600 allotted to the reduction fishery), with the remaining harvest to be taken outside of Virginia waters (i.e., federal waters). This limit should remain in force until appropriate estimates of menhaden seasonal stocks within the Bay and a clear understanding of the effects of their removals are available. 3.Create a permanent 1-nautical mile purse seine exclusion zone along Virginia's entire shoreline to minimize localized depletion, user conflicts, habitat damage, and bycatch. 4.Formally request funds from the General Assembly to expand the VIMS Research Planning proposal to study the impacts of reduction fishing on the Bay ecosystem, with at least 50% of costs to be covered by the industry. 5.Require comprehensive monitoring and public reporting of the reduction fishery, including electronic reporting and vessel monitoring. 

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission 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 review the petition.