September 14, 2026 — The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), coastal states of Maine through Virginia, have scheduled hearings to gather public input on Draft Addendum II to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden.
The Draft Addendum considers options to reduce the Chesapeake Bay Reduction Fishery Cap (Bay Cap) by up to 50 percent and distribute the cap more evenly throughout the fishing season. The current harvest cap for industrial fishing inside the bay is 51,000 metric tons annually.
ASMFC officials said that the options aim to alleviate a concentration of effort that may be affecting other fisheries within the Bay and other potential ecological impacts. The options are aimed at Omega Protein and Ocean Harvesters of Reedville, Va., the only menhaden reduction fishery firms on the East Coast.
ASMFC initiated the Draft Addendum in response to concerns regarding declining pound net harvest and catch per unit effort in the Bay in recent years, coinciding with an increase in the concentration of reduction harvest in the summer months, and the possible downstream effects on menhaden predators, it was stated in a ASMFC news release.