Showing posts with label Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Show all posts

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Governor McAuliffe Announces Virginia Oyster Harvests Continue to Climb

Chargrilled oysters
Chargrilled oysters (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
~Last year’s harvest increased to the highest level since 1987~

Newport News, VA. –Governor Terry McAuliffe announced that Virginia’s oyster harvest jumped another 25 percent last year, surging past 500,000 bushels, the most in nearly a generation.

“Over the past few years, Virginia has become the oyster capital of the East Coast, and that is great news for our Commonwealth’s economy,’’ said Governor McAuliffe. “The growth we’ve seen in the oyster harvest is extraordinary, but hardly a surprise. Virginia produces the best tasting oysters in the world, and every sustainably-harvested oyster helps clean the Chesapeake Bay and create good jobs in a tough economy. There is no question that Virginia is for oyster lovers.”

Over the past 12 years, the oyster harvest in Virginia has increased from 23,000 bushels in 2001 to an estimated 504,000 bushels last year. This is the highest level seen since 1987 and is 25 percent more than the 409,000 bushels harvested in 2012.

Preliminary harvest estimates show gains in both wild-caught oysters from public oyster rocks as well as from privately leased water bottoms.

Harvest from public oyster grounds grew from 150,534 bushels in 2012 to 213,152 bushels last year, and the harvest from privately leased growing areas continued six years of sustained growth, rising from 258,496 bushels in 2012 to 408,912 bushels last year.

“State investments in our oyster replenishment program are showing positive results,” said Molly Joseph Ward, Secretary of Natural Resources. “Keeping this momentum is vital to the growth of the oyster industry. Our comprehensive fisheries management programs, combined with private sector investments, are having a very positive impact for the Bay, consumers and the economy. We need to keep moving forward.”

The dockside value of the oyster harvest increased to $22.2 million last year, up from $16.2 million in 2012.

The ripple effects through the economy from last year’s harvest resulted in an estimated $58.4 million in economic value, using a multiplier of 2.63 on a dockside value of $22.2 million, a formula established by the late Dr. James Kirkley, a well-respected Virginia Institute of Marine Science seafood industry economist.

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission’s management of  the oyster stocks includes rotational oyster harvest areas and deployment of fossil oyster shells mined annually from the beneath James River on to public oyster grounds. These fossil shells become home for naturally occurring oyster larvae that attach to them during spawning and grow to form new adult oysters that will reach market size in roughly three years.

This oyster replenishment program provides substantial ecological as well as economic benefits, as the oysters filter the water during growth to a market size of three inches. Oyster reefs provide important forage and refuge habitat for invertebrates as well as juvenile crabs and finfish species.

“Oysters are doing well right now. We are making tremendous progress,’’ said VMRC Commissioner John M.R. Bull. “But oysters are still susceptible to disease and other environmental factors outside of our control. A lot of people have put a lot of work into getting Virginia into this position and it is paying dividends. It is worth celebrating, but we need to keep in mind that oysters live in a dynamic, ever-changing ecosystem.”

Virginia’s history of oyster harvests can be found here


Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Governor McAuliffe Signs Executive Order Convening Climate Change and Resiliency Update Commission

Southern stretch of Virginia Beach
Southern stretch of Virginia Beach (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Governor McAuliffe visited First Landing State Park on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia Beach to sign Executive Order 19, convening the Governor’s Climate Change and Resiliency Update Commission.

The bipartisan Commission is made up of leaders from around the state including local elected officials, members of the General Assembly, business leaders, environmental advocates, faith leaders, and industry representatives.

“We need to prepare Virginia’s coastal communities to deal with the growing threat of climate change, which is why I’ve re-convened the Climate Commission for the first time in four years,” stated Governor McAuliffe. “Virginia has the opportunity not only to be a leader in finding creative ways to mitigate climate change in the future but also to adapt to the effects of climate change that we have already begun to see here in the Commonwealth. I have asked Secretary of Natural Resources Molly Ward and Secretary of Public Safety Brian Moran to co-chair the Commission, which will focus on protecting Virginia’s citizens, our environment, and our industries in every region of Virginia.”

This Commission will evaluate the recommendations made by then-Governor Kaine’s Climate Commission, determine what actions were taken on those recommendations, and issue an updated final report.  The Executive Order gives the Commission one year to complete its work.

Climate Change Commission Members 
Molly Ward, Secretary of Natural Resources
Brian Moran, Secretary of Public Safety
Aubrey Lane, Secretary of Transportation
Maurice Jones, Secretary of Commerce and Trade
Richard Stuart, Senate of Virginia (R)
Barbara Favola, Senate of Virginia (D)
Gordon Helsel, House of Delegates (R)
Eileen Filler-Corn, House of Delegates (D)
Michael Karmis, PhD, Virginia Tech
Patrick Taylor, NASA
John Wells, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary
Michael Mann, PhD, Pennsylvania State University
Brett Vassey, Virginia Manufactures Association
Katie Frazier, Virginia Agribusiness Council
Francis Hodsell, Virginia Advanced Energy
Ann Jennings, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Anne Gambardella, Virginia Automobile Dealers Association
Robert M. Blue, Dominion Virginia Power
Charles Patton, Appalachian Power
Bernice McIntyre, Washington Gas Light Company
Jerome Barber, Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Temple
Nikki Rovner, The Nature Conservancy
Cale Jaffe, Southern Environmental Law Center
Walton Shepherd, Natural Resources Defense Council
Ivy Main, Sierra Club
Michael Town, League of Conservation Voters
Hap Connors, Commonwealth Transportation Board
Kenneth Wright, Mayor of Portsmouth
Daniel LaShof, Next Generation Climate Action
Neil Gray, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
Richard Groover, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College
Mike Toalson, Home Builders Association of Virginia
Dr. JoAnn Haysbert, Hampton University
Jagadish Shukla, Institute of Global Environment and Society, George Mason University

The full text of Executive Order 19 is below:

EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 19 (2014)
CONVENING THE GOVERNOR’S CLIMATE CHANGE
AND RESILIENCY UPDATE COMMISSION

Importance of the Issue

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has identified some Virginia coastal areas as among the most vulnerable to sea level rise in the nation, and the U.S. Navy Task Force Climate Change has identified Naval Station Norfolk as one of its most endangered installations. The Chesapeake Bay is particularly susceptible to damage caused by climate change. While Virginia has taken certain steps to mitigate the effects of climate change, it is imperative that the Commonwealth redouble its efforts in the face of this looming problem.

In 2008, Governor Kaine established the Governor’s Commission on Climate Change to address these concerns. The Commission’s final report outlined the impact that changing weather conditions have on Virginia’s built environment, natural systems, and the health of its citizens. Among the findings was the decline or disappearance of key species of the Chesapeake Bay, increased damage from more frequent and severe storms, and the spread of vector born diseases like West Nile virus. The report also made over 150 recommendations to help Virginia adapt to the consequences of climate change, as well as reduce Virginia’s contributions to the problem.

Establishment of the Commission

The Commonwealth requires an action–oriented plan with concrete measures to be addressed and executed. Accordingly, I hereby formally convene the Governor’s Climate Change and Resiliency Update Commission (“Commission”) to review, update, and prioritize the recommendations of the 2008 Climate Change Action Plan. Moreover, the updated report will work to identify sources of revenue to fund the implementation of these recommendations.

Composition of the Commission

The Governor’s Climate Change and Resiliency Update Commission membership will be appointed by the Governor and chaired by the Secretaries of Natural Resources and Public Safety and Homeland Security.

Membership shall also include the following individuals or their designee:
Secretary of Transportation;
Secretary of Commerce and Trade;
Representative(s) of the General Assembly;
Representative(s) from the military;
Representative(s) from local governments;
Scientific experts; and,
Representative(s) from agriculture/forestry, environmental organizations, and affected industries.

The Governor may appoint any other member(s) deemed necessary to carry out the assigned functions of the Commission and the members shall serve at his pleasure.

Staff support for the Commission will be provided by the Offices of the Secretary of Natural Resources, the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Commerce and Trade, the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, the Office of the Governor, and other agencies as may be designated by the Governor. The estimated direct cost of the Commission is $5,000. All executive branch agencies shall cooperate fully with the Commission and provide any assistance necessary, upon request of the Commission or its staff.

Duties of the Commission

The Commission is charged with conducting an assessment of the recommendations from the 2008 Climate Change Action Plan. Specifically, the Commission will:

·       Determine which recommendations from the original report were implemented;
·       Update and prioritize the recommendations; and,
·       Identify sources of funding to support the implementation of the recommendations.
            The Commission shall submit a report with its updated recommendations by June 30, 2015.

Effective Date of the Order

This Executive Order shall be effective upon its signing and, pursuant to §§ 2.2-134 and 2.2-135 of the Code of Virginia, shall remain in force and effect for a year or until superseded or rescinded.

Given under my hand and under the Seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia, this 1st day of July, 2014.

                                                                      Terence R. McAuliffe, Governor


Attest:   Levar M. Stoney, Secretary of the Commonwealth


Our Notes:  The BS Update Commission.  Climate Change?  It's called the 4 seasons.  Go figure these folks still can't figure this out.  Caveman Brain syndrome?  Maybe if these folks would stop trying to modify the weather, we would not have man made climate change?  Who do these people think they are kidding?  Oh, yes they are kidding a lot of people who claim this is all real.