July 1, 2026 — The Virginia General Assembly has approved its two-year budget with an additional USD 2 million (EUR 1.7 million) earmarked for menhaden research in the Chesapeake Bay thanks to an amendment by Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger.
The original USD 205 billion (EUR 180 billion) Virginia budget didn’t include any funding for menhaden research, despite continued pushes for it at the state level from environmental groups like the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and major menhaden fishing company Ocean Harvesters. Spanberger submitted several amendments on 26 June, one of which included funding for Atlantic menhaden research.