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Supervisors Oppose Oyster Farming: Gloucester Officials Approve a Letter Telling the VMRC They Oppose an Oyster Ground Lease.

Posted on: Thursday, 8 June 2006, 12:00 CDT

By Jon Cawley, Daily Press, Newport News, Va.

Jun. 8--GLOUCESTER -- County Supervisors agreed Tuesday night to officially enter the fray over commercial oyster farming in waters off Gloucester's shores.

A unanimous vote approved a letter to be penned this week to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission declaring the Board of Supervisors' opposition to Dan Bacot Jr.'s proposed lease of 175 acres of oyster ground off Gloucester Point.

Bacot, owner of York River Yacht Haven, has said he plans to use the lease to farm oysters in metal cages.

VMRC officials have put his lease application on hold until he provides a detailed explanation of his intentions for the oystering ground.

The board's move followed a meeting last week where VMRC staffers fielded questions from a large, mostly angry, crowd of waterfront residents and watermen.

Bacot's plans have raised the ire of many who use the heavily trafficked waters off Gloucester Point. Discussions shined a light on the lack of regulations governing the emerging oyster aquaculture industry.

Despite a debate regarding the letter's wording, supervisors agreed with the need to weigh in on the growing controversy situated mostly along the shores of the York and Ware rivers.

"I find it disturbing that there is nothing in place to control aquaculture except antiquated rules that don't seem to have a lot of teeth," said Buddy Bland, the Ware District representative.

Supervisors expressed a desire to have more information on the possible impacts of oyster farming. They also indicated support for legislation that would drive the permitting process.

"We need to let the VMRC know we want to be a player at the table," said Teresa Altemus, the York District supervisor, in proposing that the board's letter request the VMRC deny Bacot's lease.

Buddy Rilee, of the Abingdon District, cautioned that oyster farming operations employ many "hard-working watermen."

"There's something to be said about that too - as long as it is done right and is not affecting so many people," he said.

The protest letter will join 25 others in Bacot's two-inch thick file at the VMRC. Those protests will be considered when Bacot's lease application is heard at a VMRC public hearing that is unlikely to occur before July.

While the county board has no authority in the conflict, Bob Grabb, head of the VMRC Habitat Management department, said last week that the board's position would be considered by the state agency.

If Gloucester opposes, "I think the commission would carefully weigh and consider that in the process," Grabb said.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Daily Press, Newport News, Va.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: Daily Press

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