Saving Seafood

Omega Protein and Ocean Harvesters Urge Science-Based Review Before Imposing New Menhaden Restrictions

July 29, 2025 — The following was released by the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition:

In a letter submitted to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), Peter Himchak, Senior Scientific Advisor to Omega Protein, warned that “there has been an inordinate amount of focus on menhaden generally, and the reduction fishery in particular” in discussions about recent osprey declines in the Chesapeake Bay.

Omega Protein, which processes menhaden into fishmeal, fish oil, and related nutritional products, is supplied by Ocean Harvesters under a long-term harvesting agreement. Himchak submitted the letter on behalf of the company ahead of the ASMFC’s Summer Meeting.

Himchak, who served for 39 years as a fisheries biologist with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife and as a long-time advisor to both the ASMFC and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, sat on the ASMFC’s Atlantic Menhaden Technical Committee and Stock Assessment Sub-Committee from 1988 until 2006.

In the letter, Himchak criticized the ASMFC’s Work Group on Precautionary Management in Chesapeake Bay for proposing “draconian management recommendations ‘without determining if there is or is not an adequate supply of menhaden to support predatory demand in the Bay.’” He warned that moving forward with such actions without first determining whether there are, in fact, fewer menhaden in the Bay or whether the fishery has any impact on osprey “risks gravely impacting a more than 150-year-old industry and hundreds of jobs while doing nothing to improve the osprey situation.”

Himchak wrote that the ASMFC’s Technical Committee (TC) already has a significant workload in advance of the Commission’s Annual Meeting, but raised four areas of scientific inquiry the TC could investigate that would provide the Board with more complete information. 1) He asked whether “the phenomenon of reduced osprey production [is] confined to the times and areas in which the menhaden reduction fishery operates,” referencing USGS data showing declines in osprey abundance in coastal areas of multiple states—not just the Chesapeake—and increases in interior regions. He also noted that the fishery does not begin fishing until May or later—after migrant ospreys arrive in the region from late February to early March and begin building nests from mid-March to mid-April—raising questions about how the fishery could influence osprey’s months-earlier decisions about where to nest.

2) He wrote that there have been sizable increases in populations of multiple menhaden-dependent predators since at least the turn of the century, and that a stomach contents analysis of striped bass, which are only somewhat dependent on menhaden, indicated they “are not starving and would be considered healthy.” Therefore, he asked, “is it more likely that ospreys are being outcompeted or that the reduction fishery uniquely impacts osprey?”

3) Regarding eagle-osprey interactions, he noted a recent Maryland DNR release announcing “large increases in the state’s bald eagle population.” He referenced myriad studies finding that bald eagles are “kleptoparasitic”—a term used to describe their well-documented habit of attacking hunting osprey to steal their food or prey on adults, young, and eggs. Citing a study from Voyageurs National Park, he wrote that “increased numbers of eagles were associated with a reduction in the numbers of osprey nests, their nesting success and heronry size,” and asked whether “issues of competition and depredation [can] be ruled out as a cause of osprey’s lack of breeding success.” He further pointed to “significant scientific and anecdotal evidence of the dominant and adverse impacts eagles have on osprey.”

That concern was echoed in a newly released Saving Seafood special report titled “Bald Eagle Recovery in Chesapeake Bay Raises Red Flags for Osprey.” The report compiled over three decades of peer-reviewed research, field observations, and published accounts documenting instances in which eagles had a negative impact on osprey populations. In one study, researchers found “eagle abundance was negatively associated with nest reuse (i.e., persistence) and success of ospreys.” Significantly, the researchers found “little evidence of bottom-up limitations,” such as poor weather or declining fish stocks, and emphasized the role of eagle aggression, including harassment and food theft. While this body of research does not prove the resurgence of bald eagles in the Chesapeake to be the cause of osprey reproduction issues, it does indicate it is a possibility deserving of further investigation.

The full report is available at: https://www.savingseafood.org/science/bald-eagle-recovery-in-chesapeake-bay-raises-red-flags-for-osprey

4) Himchak also asked the Technical Committee to consider whether osprey foraging success is being affected by climate-driven environmental changes, including storm frequency, shoreline hardening, warming waters, or hypoxia. Citing a 2024 study by Bryan Watts, he noted that “deliveries of all forage species to osprey nests declined steadily from 1974 to 2021,” and asked whether “ospreys’ apparent lack of foraging success is tied to changes in local conditions that are impacting either local abundance of forage or osprey’s hunting success.”

He concluded the letter by writing, “The commission must be guided by science. Precipitous actions, taken in the name of precaution, are not always harmless. Neither Ocean Harvesters nor Omega Protein can survive without the current low level of access to the menhaden resource in the Bay. There simply are not enough ‘fishable days’ – that is, days where the weather and sea conditions allow vessels to operate – in a year to safely conduct a profitable fishery solely in the ocean. The menhaden fishery is managed in the most conservative manner in its 150 year or so history, and the reduction fishery is operating at its lowest sustained levels – in the Bay and overall – for as long as we have reliable records (i.e., since the 1950s). Precaution is already the policy. Before taking actions that could cause irreversible economic harm to this historic fishery, the Board should ensure that all reasonable avenues of inquiry into the issues facing osprey are explored.”

About the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition
The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition (MFC) is a collective of menhaden fishermen, related businesses, and supporting industries. Comprised of businesses along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition conducts media and public outreach on behalf of the menhaden industry to ensure that members of the public, media, and government are informed of important issues, events, and facts about the fishery.

Bald Eagle Recovery in Chesapeake Bay Raises Red Flags for Osprey

July 28, 2025 –  The Chesapeake Bay is once again teeming with bald eagles, a testament to decades of successful conservation efforts. A recent feature by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), “A Soaring Success: Maryland’s Bald Eagle Population Recovery” by science writer Joe Zimmermann, highlights this remarkable comeback.

In 1977, a mere 44 breeding pairs of bald eagles were recorded in Maryland. Today, that figure has soared to over 1,400, according to estimates from the Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership. This dramatic rebound has established the Chesapeake Bay as a national stronghold for bald eagles, boasting the highest concentration of breeding pairs outside Alaska.

This recovery is largely attributed to sustained, science-driven policy. The 1972 federal ban on the pesticide DDT, which caused reproductive failure and eggshell thinning, was a pivotal moment. In Maryland, the 1984 Chesapeake Bay Protection Act further safeguarded critical habitat within 1,000 feet of tidal waters. These combined measures helped restore nesting conditions and bolster survival rates.

The scale and speed of this recovery have made bald eagles a symbol not just of national pride, but also of effective conservation action. “Bald eagles are a very good example of what happens when you find the solutions and take action, and now you can look at how they’ve come back,” said DNR conservation ecologist Dave Brinker.

Today, bald eagles nest in every Maryland county and in Baltimore City. The Bay supports not only year-round resident eagles but also seasonal visitors from both the North and South. “Through the year, we have three pretty unique populations of bald eagles,” Brinker explained. “There are local birds that are here all year long. Then southern breeding eagles disperse to the Chesapeake Bay to spend summer here because food resources are so good. And in the winter, northern populations that need a warmer place, they come down to the Chesapeake Bay.”

 

Bald Eagle Recovery and Its Interspecies Consequences

 

While the recovery of the bald eagle in North America, particularly along the Chesapeake Bay, is a significant conservation milestone, its resurgence raises questions about its impact on other piscivorous bird species that have also been rebounding from decades of decline. Chief among these is the osprey, a fish-eating raptor that shares habitat and prey with bald eagles throughout coastal and inland waters. The Chesapeake Bay, now home to one of the largest bald eagle populations in the continental United States, is also crucial osprey habitat, making it an ideal region for observing interactions between the two species.

In recent years, environmental organizations like the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and sportfishing advocates such as the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership have repeatedly claimed that industrial menhaden fishing is the primary driver of osprey reproductive failures in the Bay. Their public campaigns, regulatory letters, and media statements link declining nest success to a perceived, yet scientifically undocumented, drop in Atlantic menhaden availability—a key prey species for ospreys during chick-rearing season. Much of this advocacy draws on research by Dr. Bryan Watts of the Center for Conservation Biology at William & Mary, whose studies have indicated increased nest failure in parts of the lower Chesapeake. However, even Watts has cautioned against definitive conclusions. In a 2024 Associated Press article, he stated, “We do not know why menhaden have become less available to osprey,” and suggested climate change as a possible factor.

Beyond climate shifts, other ecological dynamics may be at play, but the menhaden-focused narrative has recently overshadowed attention to other potential pressures. Given the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ announcement that the Bay now hosts one of the nation’s largest bald eagle populations, interspecies competition deserves closer scrutiny—particularly food competition stemming from kleptoparasitism, the well-documented behavior in which eagles steal fish from ospreys. These interactions, studied for decades by field biologists and ornithologists, warrant renewed attention in light of the bald eagle’s increasing population.

While the ecological relationships between bald eagles and ospreys are not yet fully understood, evidence from multiple regions suggests that competitive pressures—especially kleptoparasitism and nest harassment by eagles—may hinder osprey nesting success in areas with high eagle densities. It is possible that the recovery of one iconic raptor is, in part, coming at the expense of another. These dynamics deserve greater consideration from scientists, wildlife managers, and policymakers.

 

Top-Down Pressure: A 35-Year Body of Research Shows Bald Eagle Competition May Threaten Osprey Nesting Success

 

As bald eagle populations have steadily rebounded across North America, particularly in strongholds like the Chesapeake Bay, a longstanding body of scientific research suggests that their recovery may come at the expense of other raptors, especially ospreys. For more than three decades, field biologists and ornithologists have documented the effects of interspecific competition and kleptoparasitism, the act of stealing food, as a factor contributing to osprey nesting failures.

One of the most comprehensive analyses of these dynamics comes from a 2019 study published in the Journal of Animal Ecology titled “Top-down effects of repatriating bald eagles hinder jointly recovering competitors.” Led by Jennyffer Cruz and co-authored by Steve K. Windels, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Shawn M. Crimmins, Leland H. Grim, James H. Larson, and Benjamin Zuckerberg, the study evaluated 26 years of nesting data in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota. The researchers found that as bald eagle numbers increased due to intensive protections, the populations of ospreys and great blue herons declined.

“Bald eagles are top predators and a flagship species of conservation that have benefited from intensive protection,” they wrote, “but this likely hindered the recovery of ospreys and herons.” The study documented that “eagle abundance was negatively associated with nest reuse (i.e., persistence) and success of ospreys,” and concluded: “The top-down effects of returning bald eagles were the main predictors of declining nesting demographics for ospreys and herons resulting in their failed recoveries.” Importantly, the authors found “little evidence of bottom-up limitations,” such as poor weather, habitat loss, or declining fish stocks, implicating competition and interference from eagles as a primary driver.

The literature documenting these dynamics stretches back decades.

In a 1994 field note published in The Journal of Raptor Research, Professors J. MacDonald and N.R. Seymour of St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia documented a lethal encounter in which a bald eagle pursued and killed an adult male osprey that was carrying a white perch. A second eagle joined the chase, and after a brief pursuit, one eagle seized the osprey midair, dragged it to shore, and ate it. The authors believed the attack originated as an act of kleptoparasitism—food theft—a behavior they note is well documented between eagles and ospreys and which they described as “a common occurrence.” They also referenced a second lethal attack, described by Flemming and Bancroft in 1990, in which a bald eagle attacked an osprey nestling shortly after it had received a fish.

In 2013, four U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) staff members working at Lake Sonoma in Geyserville, California, documented what was believed to be the first officially recorded case of “cooperative kleptoparasitism” in which a pair of bald eagles worked together to steal a fish from an osprey. Their observations were formally published in 2014 in The Journal of Raptor Research and summarized in a March 20, 2014, article on Army.mil, which likened the coordinated and calculated nature of the predation to something out of Jurassic Park. “Rarely have humans seen them cooperating to hunt as a pair,” USACE ecologist Wade Eakle explained. “This was the first time we witnessed them actually cooperating to steal, from another species.” The two eagles forced the osprey to drop its trout, after which the larger female swiftly seized the fish and flew off. Rangers had been monitoring the nesting pair since 2001, but this behavior marked a milestone in understanding the extent of eagle dominance over other raptors.

Evidence for this behavior also includes a 1988 study by Dennis G. Jorde and G.R. Lingle, published in the Journal of Field Ornithology, which observed repeat patterns of interspecific kleptoparasitism along the Platte River in Nebraska. Their findings indicated that bald eagles not only routinely stole food from other raptors but developed learned strategies for doing so efficiently, particularly during important foraging periods.

Even outside peer-reviewed journals, naturalists and field reporters have provided consistent anecdotal corroboration. BirdWatching Magazine similarly observes: “Bald Eagles are known to steal fish from other birds, particularly Ospreys. They will aggressively chase Ospreys in flight until the Osprey drops its catch, which the eagle will then snatch midair or retrieve from the water.” Another article in the same publication added, “It is common for ospreys and eagles to be in the same hunting grounds. As the more aggressive raptors, eagles will often fight the Osprey and force it to let go of the captured prey. The eagle will typically swoop in to catch the stolen prey.” The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds guide echoes these observations: “A Bald Eagle will harass a hunting Osprey until the smaller raptor drops its prey in midair, where the eagle swoops it up”, a classic example of kleptoparasitism.

Collectively, these studies and field reports spanning decades point to a clear and well-established pattern: as eagle populations recover and concentrate in resource-rich areas like the Chesapeake Bay, their aggressive behavior and dominance in the food web may have measurable negative consequences for ospreys. The repeated harassment and food theft increase energetic costs for osprey parents, reduce feeding efficiency, and may contribute to nest failures.

While the recovery of the bald eagle in the Chesapeake Bay region is unquestionably a landmark conservation success story, it does not exist in ecological isolation. As concerns continue to emerge about osprey reproductive success in key habitats like the Bay, it is increasingly important to view this predator’s return within the broader dynamics of interspecies competition. Over the past 35 years, a robust and diverse body of scientific literature—supported by peer-reviewed studies, field notes, and firsthand accounts—has documented the kleptoparasitic behavior of bald eagles, particularly their tendency to steal fish from ospreys and, at times, directly harass or even kill them. This behavior, while natural, may contribute to the energetic costs and nest failures observed in osprey populations where eagle densities are high.

Even Benjamin Franklin, in an often-cited letter, criticized the selection of the bald eagle as the national bird due in part to its scavenging habits and its theft of fish from “the fishing hawk,” known today as osprey.

For my own part I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country. … he watches the labour of the fishing hawk; and when that diligent bird has at length taken a fish, and is bearing it to his nest for the support of his mate and young ones, the bald eagle pursues him, and takes it from him.

While his concerns were framed with a satirical flourish, he anticipated a tension now supported by decades of ecological research. As wildlife managers and policymakers evaluate recent reports of declining osprey productivity, it is essential that they consider not only fishery-related factors but also the well-documented competitive interactions between these two raptor species.

 

References

 

MAWS Act Targets Blue Catfish in Chesapeake Bay

July 14, 2025 — Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) and Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth (D-MD-03), alongside Representatives Rob Wittman (R-VA-01) and Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02), introduced the bipartisan Mitigation Action and Watermen Support (MAWS) Act on Monday, July 7, 2025. The legislation aims to address the ecological and economic threats posed by invasive blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay by establishing a two-year pilot program within the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office to develop a new market for the fish in the pet and animal food industry.

The MAWS Act will provide grants to pet and animal food manufacturers to incentivize watermen to harvest blue catfish, while establishing infrastructure for transportation, processing, and manufacturing. NOAA will collect data on the program’s ecological and economic impacts, including effects on blue catfish populations, native species, watermen’s livelihoods, and market responses. The agency will report findings to Congress, offering best practices and recommendations for similar programs in other watersheds.

“The Chesapeake Bay is the beating heart of Maryland,” Congressman Hoyer said. “We have a responsibility to look after the Bay, its ecosystems, and the communities that it sustains. I’m proud to join my friend Sarah Elfreth – a longtime advocate for the Chesapeake Bay – on this vital legislation to protect the health of our public waters.”

“The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States, with more coastline across the Watershed than the entire coast of California. It is a pillar of our local recreation, seafood, and tourism economies,” said Congresswoman Elfreth. “Invasive blue catfish pose a direct ecological and economic threat to our Bay, which is why I am introducing the bipartisan MAWS Act alongside Congressman Wittman to address the damage inflicted by blue catfish, while also strengthening our local seafood economy and providing a new source of protein to pets nationwide.”

Could pet food be the answer to the blue catfish problem in the Chesapeake Bay?

July 8, 2025 — The Chesapeake Bay has a lot of blue catfish, and that’s a problem.

Now, lawmakers have a plan to see if the invasive fish can be used as pet food.

A bipartisan bill, introduced in Congress, is aimed at getting blue catfish out of the bay and into the pet food industry.

Blue catfish have no natural predators in the Chesapeake Bay, can live up to 20 years, and weigh up to 100 pounds. They prey on economically important species like blue crabs, rockfish, striped bass, and oysters.

Read the full article at WMAR

USGS faces big cuts, endangering Chesapeake science

June 26, 2025 — Vital research into threats to the Chesapeake Bay from invasive blue catfish, PFAS contamination, climate change and land use is on the chopping block as the Trump administration aims to decimate if not eliminate ecological studies done by the U.S. Geological Survey.

In its proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 released May 30, the White House has called for a 90% cut in funding for ecological research, laboratories and personnel at the USGS, which is the science arm of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

“It’s the most important mission area in USGS that they’re cutting,” said Scott Phillips, who retired from the agency in 2023 after more than 25 years as its Chesapeake Bay science coordinator. Beyond water quality, he noted, fish and wildlife are “what people care about.”

Read the full article at the Bay Journal

Officials spark debate with proposal to lift ban on controversial fishing practice: ‘One of the biggest unknowns’

June 18, 2025 — Maryland officials are considering lifting a current ban on fishing for striped bass.

However, reopening fishing could impact the species’ already-low reproduction rates and threaten its survival in the Chesapeake Bay.

What’s happening?

As Maryland Matters reported, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources is looking to allow striped bass fishing, with restrictions, in April and May. In exchange for opening up springtime fishing, the department proposed a complete ban in August to prevent the heat-related deaths that can follow catch-and-release methods.

The DNR stated that it wants to approach its striped bass fishing season similarly to how it’s handled in the Potomac River of Virginia, per Maryland Matters. It also wants to increase fishing tourism in the spring and support local fishing guides and tackle shops.

However, even catch-and-release fishing is linked to declining striped bass populations during spawning season. This impact is most significant in the hot summer months when fish are extracted from the water and can’t survive after anglers toss them back in from their hooks.

“That’s one of the biggest unknowns about this kind of fishery,” said Reid Nelson, a fisheries ecologist. “If this fishery blows up [with a lot more catch-and-release in spring] even if the fish continue to spawn, does that impact the quality of larvae?”

Read the full article at TCD

Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population falls to ‘distressing low’

June 10, 2025 — Blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay have dropped to a “distressing low” number, experts say, marking several years of repeated declines and raising concern about their long-term health.

The estimated number of crabs was 238 million, the second-lowest point since an annual blue crab dredge survey to measure their population started in the 1990s and coming shortly after 2022’s record low of 226 million crabs, according to experts. The survey found that the decline hit all of the crustaceans, regardless of maturity or gender.

“It’s disturbing because we’ve seen in all sectors — adult males, adult females and juvenile crabs — drops in their numbers,” said Allison Colden, Maryland executive director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The biggest concern, she and other experts said, is the drop in juvenile crabs.

“There’s a disconnect,” she said, “in the productivity of the blue crab population and the number of females in the water.”

The causes of their decline are a bit of a mystery to scientists. The blue crab population can vary widely each year, depending on several factors, including changes to their habitat — especially a loss of underwater grasses that are critical for young crabs, an increase in predators such as blue catfish and red drum fish, pollution runoff into the bay and dramatic shifts in wind, current and storm patterns that can especially affect juvenile crabs.

“If it gets too cold too quickly that causes them to die, and we’ve seen a very high rate of crabs dying over the winter,” Colden said.

Read the full article at The Washington Post

Chesapeake Bay blue crab population dip worries experts

June 2, 2025 — The most updated edition of the annual Chesapeake Bay blue crab winter dredge survey has found that the blue crab population in the U.S. states of Maryland and Virginia is the second-smallest recorded in recent history. 

The survey, conducted by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, estimated the total crab population to be 238 million, just above 2022’s all-time low of 226 million.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Fishery lawsuit merging coastal states could reel in Trump

May 14, 2025 — Atlantic striped bass season begins on the Chesapeake Bay May 16 amid mounting tensions between fishing industry groups and regulatory agencies.

A federal lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by fishing industry organizations bordering the Atlantic Ocean and its inland waterways, including the Chesapeake Bay and Hudson River Estuary.

The suit targets the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), which coordinates conservation and management of coastal fish species shared by 15 states along the Atlantic coast, along with several other federal agencies.

Adding to the regulatory conflict, an executive order from President Donald Trump to restore local fisheries freedoms could potentially overturn the Fisheries Commission previous regulations.

Captain Rob Newberry, chair of Delmarva Fisheries Association (DFA), and Brian Hardman, chair of the Maryland Charter Boats Association, are leading the challenge against current Maryland state regulations, particularly those concerning striped bass.

The following was released by Southern Maryland News

Menhaden fishers urge ASMFC to maintain quotas in face of NGO criticism

May 6, 2025 — The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition and six shop stewards representing union fishermen participating in the Chesapeake Bay menhaden fishery are urging the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to maintain current allowable catch levels in the face of NGO criticism.

The ASMFC Menhaden Management Board is meeting on 7 May to discuss management of the species. In a letter to the board, members of the UFCW Local 400 union called on board members to listen to fishermen and adopt regulatory practices based on “sound scientific principles” rather than listen to environmental groups that claim the fishery is responsible for declines in other species in the Chesapeake Bay.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource