Bill to Restrict Cownose Ray Tournaments Nears Final Passage

Editor

somd.com Editor
Staff member
PREMO Member
Patron
Legislation passes full House; Similar legislation already passed unanimously in the Senate

ANNAPOLIS (March 15, 2017) - Today, the Maryland House of Delegates passed a version of the 2017 Prohibition on Cownose Ray Fishing Contests (HB 211 http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?pid=billpage&stab=01&id=hb0211&tab=subject3&ys=2017RS ) with a vote of 119 to 21. The House version of the bill declares a moratorium on such contests through July 1, 2019 and requires the Department of Natural Resources to prepare a fisheries management plan by December 31, 2018. The bill is sponsored by Delegate Shane Robinson (D-District 39).

The Senate version of the bill (SB 268 http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?id=SB0268&stab=01&pid=billpage&tab=subject3&ys=2017RS), sponsored by Senator Ron Young (D-District 3), passed unanimously on February 13. The Senate version includes a moratorium on contests through July 1, 2018 and requires the fisheries study by December 31, 2017.

During contests, which are held every summer in Maryland, participants slaughter rays en masse to see who can kill the heaviest ray. Pregnant female rays are often the prime target, because of their heavier weight. After the contests, participants have been caught on film dumping rays' bodies back into the water or tossing them into dumpsters.

"This legislation is an important step toward protecting cownose rays from senseless killing," says Delegate Robinson. "Maryland should not be known for vicious killing contests, especially of a species that is extremely vulnerable to overfishing."

Since the House and Senate bills amendments differ slightly, the two chambers will be working to resolve any differences, but advocates are optimistic that an agreement will be reached.

"We are confident that both chambers will come to an agreement on this critical bipartisan legislation and hope the chambers adopt the House version of the bill, which allows more time for the study," says Mary Finelli, Chair of the Save the Rays Coalition. "The Coalition fully supports the moratorium on these cruel and wasteful contests while more research is conducted."

View a fact sheet ( http://savetheraysmd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/cownose-ray-coalition-factsheet.pdf ) and FAQ ( http://savetheraysmd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/cownose-ray-coalition-faq-final.pdf ) for more information.

#savetherays

###

Save the Cownose Rays Coalition is a grassroots coalition of non-profit organizations working to ban inhumane contests that target the cownose rays of the Chesapeake Bay.
 

Monello

Smarter than the average bear
PREMO Member
Too many rays in the bay as it is. Nothing wrong with culling the herd. They make good crab trap bait.
 

Bird Dog

Bird Dog
PREMO Member
Too many rays in the bay as it is. Nothing wrong with culling the herd. They make good crab trap bait.

It would of never been a problem if the macho dudes didn't have to post their chit on face book.....
Culling rays, using them for crab bait, cat food, etc...not a problem...
They made their bed and now they have to sleep in it...
 
Last edited:

LightRoasted

If I may ...
If I may ...

No big deal. Just don't be sponsoring, conducting, or participating in any contest. You can still kill as many as you want. I'll be just for bragging rights.
 

Merlin99

Visualize whirled peas
PREMO Member
I'm kind of a live and let live kind of guy, never understood the idea of killing things just to be killing them.
 

Monello

Smarter than the average bear
PREMO Member
The rays compete with more valuable sea life for food. They tear up the bottom. Not many things in the bay eat them, so they over populate the water. They eat oysters and there are few of those left these days.
 

black dog

Free America
The rays compete with more valuable sea life for food. They tear up the bottom. Not many things in the bay eat them, so they over populate the water. They eat oysters and there are few of those left these days.


Good Conservation is difficult for most to understand.
Sometimes you just gotta massively thin the herd, gaggle, flock, school and so on. That comes with Good Conservation.
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
Good Conservation is difficult for most to understand.
Sometimes you just gotta massively thin the herd, gaggle, flock, school and so on. That comes with Good Conservation.

I'm reminded of the eradication program that DNR implemented to rid the area of an invasive and very destructive swann species. Beautiful birds..thousands of them..but they had to be destroyed.
 

black dog

Free America
I'm reminded of the eradication program that DNR implemented to rid the area of an invasive and very destructive swann species. Beautiful birds..thousands of them..but they had to be destroyed.

Just look at the awesome green carpet that the Resident Geese leave.

Also the massive destruction that Nutria have done just to Blackwater.
 
Top