June 18, 2026 — A scientific paper documenting widespread reproductive deficits among Chesapeake Bay osprey is drawing attention from the commercial fishing industry, with Ocean Harvesters arguing that the study does not establish a causal link between the declines and Virginia’s commercial menhaden fishery.
The paper, Widespread Reproductive Deficits in Chesapeake Bay Ospreys, published in Frontiers in Marine Science, suggests that reduced availability of Atlantic menhaden may be a primary factor contributing to poor osprey nesting success in high-salinity regions of the Chesapeake Bay.
In a June 11 email statement provided by Ocean Harvesters, they claimed the study raised important question about osprey productivity but “does not prove that Virginia’s commercial menhaden fishery caused the problem.”
According to Ocean Harvesters, the paper relies on a series of inferences connecting poor osprey reproduction to food stress, reduced menhaden availability and ultimately commercial fishing activity, but stops short of demonstrating direct causation.
Peter Himchak, senior fisheries scientist at Omega Protein, also cautioned against interpreting the paper as definitive evidence linking the reduction fishery to osprey declines.
“This paper is likely to draw attention because it reads, at least up front, like an indictment of menhaden availability in the Chesapeake Bay,” Himchak said. “But the paper also details numerous other possible mechanisms that may affect osprey productivity, and those caveats are critical considerations in evaluating this issue.”