MSC pre-assessment made available

Participants confirmed

Workplan made public

The FIP is supporting the establishment of a shellfish sustainability advisory committee (SAC); the committee formation is currently in development.

Research project conducted on the fishing rights to eastern oysters for indigenous Native Virginians; the research concluded that no explicit or implicit legal rights specific to oyster fishing exist for people dependent on fishing for food or livelihood.

VIMS has produced a report demonstrating that extensive/ intensive aquaculture is able to coexist with protected submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) areas that overlap with areas leased for oyster production. 

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) has prepared a summary of oyster genetics of wild and hatchery populations suggests the wild oyster population in Chesapeake Bay is large enough to buffer against any impacts from reproduction with hatchery produced oysters. Final report in preparation.

New position advertised for the stand-alone shellfish division set by by the Virginia Seafood Council and Virginia Marine Resources Commission for alignment on monitoring of the fishery 

FIP management division has policies in place to minimize impact on the seabed. 

VMRC reorganized by implementing the Shellfish Management Division (SMD), with the FIP participants using the pre-assessment to demonstrate the need for this governance action -  SMD reached full implementation (https://mrc.virginia.gov/mrcoverview.shtm) in December 2021.