Clean Water News

Virginia Beach, VA – Environment Virginia today released a new report on the impacts of an unhealthy Chesapeake Bay for Virginia’s commercial fishing industry.  The report comes as Congress and the U.S. Environmental Protection agency are considering new actions to jumpstart bay restoration efforts.

“After 25 years of government efforts, the bay is still dangerously sick, and the bay’s watermen are paying the steepest price,” said Environment Virginia Issue Associate Sarah Driscoll.  “After decades of voluntary programs, minimal accountability and lax enforcement of bay protections, it’s crystal clear that we need greater accountability and greater enforcement of limits on all sources of pollution.”

From the 19th century onward, the harvests of the watermen made historically significant contributions to the U.S. seafood supply. Their skills, customs, and lore, along with the fish and shellfish they provide, are fundamental to the Chesapeake Bay.  Unfortunately, years of rampant pollution have threatened to destroy this important piece of the commonwealth’s identity.

In 1983, the bay supported four major commercial fisheries: oysters, soft shell clams, blue crabs and striped bass. Watermen could rotate among these four fisheries, according to the seasons of the year. This flexibility protected them from economic hardship in years when one of the staple species was scarce, and reduced the likelihood that any one species would be overfished.

But the soft shell clam and oyster fisheries have collapsed, and the commercial harvest of striped bass has been restricted to allow the fishery’s survival. Crab harvests have fallen so dramatically that in 2008 the federal government declared a commercial fishery failure for soft shell and peeler crabs.

“We were pretty ignorant,” said Russell Dize a Chesapeake waterman.  “We had it great and we didn’t know it.  My God, you couldn’t have it any better than we did.  Now we’ve lost the oysters.  We lost the clams.  All we’ve got left now are crabs and rockfish.  If we lose them, we’re sunk.”

The report, Watermen Blues: Economic, Cultural and Community Impacts of Poor Water Quality in the Chesapeake Bay, includes case studies of watermen and others impacted directly by the lagging commercial fishing industry.  One of the case studies is of Cathy Davenport, owner of Dymer Creek Seafood Company.

“Ten or fifteen years ago we shipped a half million pounds or better every year, but it’s not that now.  Our business is so far down,” she said.  “We’re just trying to hang on.  That’s basically what it is, just trying to hang on.  In another ten years it will all be over.”

Mr. Dize and Ms. Davenport’s stories are just two examples of the plight facing Virginia’s commercial fishing industry.  Years of unmet pollution reduction targets have left the bay in an unsustainable state.  The good news is that the federal government seems to be renewing its efforts to restore the bay.

The Environmental Protection Agency and six other federal agencies recently released draft reports outlining a new plan of action to restore the Chesapeake Bay. In their report, the EPA describes a new accountability program in which all polluters must be held accountable.  If states fail to implement their plans or meet 2-year benchmarks, the EPA could impose consequences such as denying permits, withholding or redirecting federal funds, or prohibiting new or expanded pollution discharges.

At the same time, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) is drafting complementary legislation so that the EPA can effectively enforce pollution caps throughout the bay watershed.

 “This is the year for the federal government to draw a line in the sand and say enough is enough,” said Driscoll. “If the EPA and our leaders in Congress stick to their guns and hold all polluters accountable, we can finally turn the tide in bay restoration. We look forward to working with the EPA and our Senators to build upon this work and create a comprehensive plan that retains this centerpiece of enforcement and accountability.”

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Environment Virginia is a statewide, citizen-funded advocacy organization working for clean air, clean water and preservation of open spaces.