March 9, 2026 — A recent fish wash-up along beaches from Cape Henry, Va., to Nags Head, N.C., has reignited tensions between environmental advocates and the menhaden industry, with the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition accusing the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) of mischaracterizing the event to attack Virginia’s reduction fishery.
In a statement released on March 6, the coalition criticized comments by CBF’s Will Poston linking the die-off to broader concerns about the Atlantic menhaden fishery, calling the claims “misleading” and part of a broader campaign against the industry.
“The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is using this natural event to make false accusations and continue the campaign of anti-menhaden misinformation,” the coalition stated, arguing that the beach wash-up was unrelated to fishing activity.