REEDVILLE, VA / ACCESSWIRE / April 9, 2024 / Delegate Hillary Pugh Kent, representing Virginia's Northern Neck and Caroline County in House District 67, has announced that Governor Glenn Youngkin has signed into law "The Right to Fish" bill, to protect commercial watermen from interference, which she sponsored.
According to Delegate Kent, "House Bill 928, a bill to protect commercial watermen while they are working in Virginia waters, was signed by Governor Youngkin last week. This bill recognizes the importance of our state's seafood industry by creating protections for commercial watermen and deterring unlawful interference. This new law will provide restitution against those who purposefully inhibit fishing and destroy the property of commercial watermen. It will reinforce the continued viability of our fishing and seafood industries, which are necessary to the economic and cultural fabric of the Northern Neck and all of the Commonwealth."
The legislation adds a new section to the Virginia code addressing interference with commercial fishing vessels or activity. It makes knowingly and intentionally interfering with or impeding commercial fishing activity within Virginia waters a Class 1 misdemeanor. The legislation also imposes penalties such as ineligibility for certain hunting and fishing licenses for varying periods depending on the number of offenses committed. Additionally, individuals convicted of violating this section may be required to complete boating safety education.
Delegate Hillary Pugh Kent with Governor Glenn Youngkin at the signing of House Bill 928. Source: Delegate Hillary Pugh Kent
The bill passed the Virginia House by a unanimous vote of 99-0, and the Senate with only one dissenting vote 38-1.
The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition thanks Delegate Kent and Governor Glenn Youngkin, as well as Delegate Robert S. Bloxom, Jr., who filed similar legislation, House Courts of Justice Chair Patrick A. Hope, House Courts of Justice Criminal Subcommittee Chair Vivian E. Watts, Majority Leader and Senate Courts of Justice Committee Chair Scott Surovell, Senator Richard H. Stuart, Delegate Destiny LeVere Bolling, the bipartisan coalition of copatrons who lent their sponsorship to the bill, and all of the members of the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate who voted for passage.
We would also like to thank the Virginia Manufacturer's Association, the Virginia Watermen's Association, and United Food & Commercial Workers Local 400 for supporting this important and needed legislation.
The new law was proposed in response to an uptick in threats and acts of harassment directed towards commercial fishermen lawfully operating in Virginia's waters.
Instances of dangerous encounters have been escalating in frequency and intensity, threatening physical harm and jeopardizing the safety of our commercial watermen. These confrontations, often involving jet skis and recreational boats, pose risks to all parties involved. Previous statutes imposed only minor penalties, such as nominal fines, which proved insufficient to deter individuals who possess the financial means to own and operate recreational watercraft.
One such incident occurred on September 23, 2023, approximately 1.5 miles east of Buckroe Beach off Hampton. As they were deploying their net, an Ocean Harvesters vessel, the Rappahannock, was accosted by a jet ski operator who harassed the crew as they operated the smaller purse vessels. The individual recklessly drove his jet ski inside the net, doused the crew with his wake, and hurled profanities, including threatening language.
Because there had been a recent history of social media posts threatening potential violence, the incident prompted concern among the Rappahannock crew that the perpetrator might be armed and inclined to escalate the situation. These events were visible and recorded by a spotter pilot operating in coordination with the Rappahannock.
This marked the third occurrence of such incidents during the late summer months of 2023.
Although it is individuals who executed these attacks, they are incited and emboldened by the rhetoric from various sport fishing organizations. These associations meticulously track and disclose the whereabouts of commercial vessels and their anchoring locations each evening. While not directly encouraging their members to disrupt and harass fishing operations, they consistently provided the information needed to do so.
The jet ski incident was promptly reported to both the United States Coast Guard and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC). Subsequently, the VMRC investigated the matter. However, due to a lack of commitment from local prosecutors to pursue the case, it was handled as a VMRC offense. The perpetrator pleaded guilty and was fined $500, then boasted about his actions on social media, displaying no remorse.
Some of the threats made online include:
1. "Navy should use them for target practice."
2. "Sink them and blame it on Putin. Need to do like they do on Whale Wars."
3. "Fire the cannons."
4. "Starting to wonder if we can't do some Whale Wars type stuff to these guys."
5. "We need Greenpeace to harass them. Or attack submarines."
6. "Where's the Sea Shepherd… Get the prop fouler out. It can't be that illegal to mess with them."
7. "I have several rifles with scopes and suppression. If someone is a better shot than me, you're welcome to borrow them to sever the net ropes."
8. "It's going to take an organization such as Sea Shepherd in order to wake this state up into action. …Now I know why Capt. Paul took matters into his own hands on Whale Wars."
9. "You got whale war, it's time for menhaden war."
10. "Yeah, I'd love to do a local 'Sea Shepherd' operation on these fools. Jet skis with prop foulers, etc."
11. "Where is the Sea Shepherd when you need it?"
12. "Where's an errant WWII German U-Boat when you really need one…? I've got a small boat and plenty of bottle rockets."
13. "Unfortunately, there's not much that can be done, at least non-violently."
About the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition
The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition (MFC) is a collective of menhaden fishermen, related businesses, and supporting industries. Comprised of businesses along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition conducts media and public outreach on behalf of the menhaden industry to ensure that members of the public, media, and government are informed of important issues, events, and facts about the fishery.
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SOURCE: Menhaden Fisheries Coalition