HD87 - House Joint Resolution No. 535, 1993: The Condition and Future Prospects of the Shellfish Industry in Virginia
Executive Summary: In a 1928 communication to the Virginia General Assembly, Governor Harry F. Byrd wrote that "[t]he commercial sea food industry is one of Virginia's greatest assets. Its annual output is valued at $30,000,000; 38,000 people are regularly employed and 60,000 at certain seasons. "In that communication, he expressed particular concern about the condition of the oyster industry, which at that time had fallen from 7,612,299 bushels in 1904 to 4,356,416 in1925. He implored the General Assembly to recognize the value of the seafood industry in general and the oyster industry in particular and stated that "Virginia as a State has the full right to ask that this industry be conserved and administered with broad vision and business efficiency...whether you come from the mountains or the sea, it is your duty to unite and preserve this industry from extinction." Obviously much has changed since Governor Byrd wrote those words. However, his depth of feeling about the importance to Virginia of the seafood industry as a whole and the shellfish industry as a vital component, is shared by many today. It is the firm belief of the members of the committee formed pursuant to House Joint Resolution 535 that a vibrant shellfish industry is a worthy goal and it is the obligation of the Commonwealth to do all within its power to achieve that end. House Joint Resolution 535 (see Appendix 1) adopted by the 1993 session of the Virginia General Assembly charged the Virginia members of the Chesapeake Bay Commission with reporting on the condition of the shellfish industry and making recommendations for the future. The members of the commission selected state agency officials, seafood packers, watermen and scientists to assist them in the fulfillment of their charge. The purpose of this report is to report on the progress of the committee and to set the stage for a comprehensive strategic plan for the protection, enhancement and restoration of the shellfish industry which will be submitted to the Governor and the General Assembly at the1995 session. As noted in the findings to follow, the HJR 535 committee wishes to make recommendations that will result in a healthy shellfish industry within Virginia's tidal waters. Given the complexity of the issues involved and desire of the committee to proceed deliberately and responsibly, the committee has recommended that the study be continued for another year. |
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