[Broad Bill]

Posted a reply earlier and deleted it so as to not include names. Why would any of us believe ASMFC, MAMFC or the State of Virginia will do anything to change a problem they themselves created causing a 42% decline in the summer flounder quota for 2024 and 2025 and a potential moratorium in the striper fishery.

We've all worked throughout our lives. How many chances does an employee, executive or in this case agency or members get before realizing the problem is the agencies and members themselves. Government is the only institution where you actually get recognized and promoted for failing.

Everyone of these institutions are as corrupt as they get and now we're expected to applaud the same people for kicking the proverbial can down the street for yet again another two years before addressing the problem and implementing remedial measures before it's too late. And what happens over that two year window with the unabated exploitation of menhaden in the Chesapeake by Cooke Inc. while corrupt Virginia politicians and businesses get filthy rich.

Yesterday's ruling, in my opinion, is symptomatic of the systemic failure of the process, completely ignored the problems facing the fishery and constitutes business as usual which all but guarantees continued failure within these stocks. All lip service and no substantive action, no different than the BS we've endured the last twenty or more years. The powers to be are deferring the problem so in 2026 we'll be looking at a full season closure as opposed to two months and forget about summer flounder because all these younger age class fish we saw this year won't be making an appearance next year as they're being killed by year round offshore commercial operations throughout the winter.

I'd refrain from accolades to any individual whose been involved for years in the decision making process causing these catastrophic problems until changes are made to actually protect and grow these fisheries. You want to fix the striper fishery, focus your efforts on managing the attached graph and stop harvesting the big female breeders. You want to fix the summer flounder problem, protect the fall spawn and provide protection to the spawning stock. Stop making decisions which favor the commercial sector and start making decisions which benefit the stock.