Second fish kill hits Northampton beaches

Pictured: dead bunker washed ashore at Latimer Bluff. Courtesy of Randy Ley.

The VMRC is investigating another fish spill in Northampton County. 

According to a witness at the scene, the spill occurred Monday afternoon and according to law enforcement officers at the scene it was not immediately reported.

Tuesday morning, Richard Hatch reported to ShoreDailyNews.com that there were four people on the beach picking up red drum that were among the menhaden washed up on the shore, who then transported them to one of the nine menhaden boats that were still in the area.

According to Hatch, there could have been many thousands of menhaden on the beach.

As of Tuesday evening, a Latimer Bluff resident reported to us that section of the beach had been cleared.

“As of right now the beach at Latimer’s is clean of dead fish that came ashore by boat from Omega Protein,” said Randy Ley.

“I spoke to one of the men that seemed to be in charge this morning and he apologized that this happened and stated that they would clean up the beach(and did!) Glad they kept their word!”

Northampton Administrator Charlie Kolakowski said Northampton will be continuing to pursue the issue with Omega and the VMRC.

The first spill this month was the first in several years to affect the Eastern Shore.

In 2020, Senator Lynwood Lewis cosponsored a bill, which was signed by then Governor Ralph Northam, which transferred regulatory management of the menhaden fishery from the Virginia General Assembly over to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.

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