Md. AG Considers Court Action Over Menhaden Catch

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler says he is considering court action over menhaden if regulators don't cut the amount taken by a Virginia processor.

Menhaden are a key link in the Chesapeake food chain but are also harvested by industrial processors for products ranging from animal feed to dietary supplements and cosmetics. An Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission board voted late last year to cut the harvest by about a third to allow stocks to rebound. A final vote is scheduled later this year.

More than 80 percent of the harvest is brought in by Omega Protein Inc., which operates a fleet in Reedville, Va. Gansler said at an environmental conference in Baltimore that he's working with the commission on Omega's allocation and is considering court action if not satisfied.

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