The Virginia Marine Resources Commission voted unanimously to increase this year’s landings of Atlantic menhaden during its June 23 meeting in Newport News.

The new landings, authorized by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, are based on a new stock assessment, said Laurie Naismith, public information officer for VMRC.

The change will boost the total allowable landings of menhaden from 318,067,167 pounds to 349,873,884 pounds, Naismith said.

Following a separate public hearing, the commission voted to approve the use of hand-held “water rakes” to harvest cultured hard clams on leased grounds.

Also, the commission approved two after-the-fact requests for pier improvements in Middlesex County. Richard and Rita Porterfield sought to retain a 65-foot-long, private use, non-riparian pier and two vinyl sheet-pile groins which extend from their upland property, across a riparian strip of beach owned by Timberneck Land, LLC, and into the Rappahannock River at...