It is vital that we protect the menhaden population of the Chesapeake Bay.  The Bay is the nursery for the Atlantic Coast striped bass and should be recognized as such.  The reduction fishery in the Chesapeake Bay threatens the population of fish species like striped bass, trout, drum, shad, and bluefish, all of which have seen alarming trends in their populations.  This, in turn, threatens the billions of dollars in economic impact and the tens of thousands of jobs that are associated with both commercial and recreational fishing of striped bass.  I am proud to support this effort to preserve menhaden in our waterways, as I have during my tenure in the Maryland Senate.