Saving Seafood

DARAWN KENNER: Facts, not rhetoric, should drive menhaden decisions

May 6, 2025 — In the debate over the future of the Atlantic menhaden fishery, working families are being pushed to the margins. The fishermen, plant workers and coastal community members who have sustained this industry for generations are too often falsely portrayed as obstacles to conservation. Meanwhile, environmental activist groups are assumed to speak for the public good. But regulators and members of the public should not accept the premise that these groups speak for the public interest simply because they say so on their websites.

Blind trust in activist groups has serious consequences. It gives disproportionate influence to organizations with agendas shaped not just by science or stewardship, but by fundraising goals and ideology. Take, for example, the recent formation of the Atlantic Menhaden Chesapeake Bay Work Group. Its assumption, that menhaden harvests are driving a decline in fledgling osprey survival, is not supported by the best available science. Yet it has shaped public discourse and policy proposals, in part because its leaders come from high-profile nonprofits such as the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Audubon Society.

Let’s be clear: We are not against responsible conservation. Many of us are fourth- or fifth-generation members of this fishery. Our lives depend on healthy ecosystems, and we support science-based management to ensure that menhaden and the marine food web remain strong. We welcomed the development of Ecological Reference Points (ERPs), which incorporate predator needs into harvest decisions. But even as those were adopted, some activists criticized them — not because the science was flawed, but because the outcome didn’t slash harvest levels to their liking.

This reveals a deeper truth: For some groups, no amount of responsible management is enough. They move from one manufactured crisis to the next, each time casting commercial fishermen as the villain. It is not members of the charter and for-hire sectors — comprised of hard-working watermen like ourselves — but well-funded industry organizations such as the American Sportfishing Association and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership that lead these attacks on our livelihoods. Complaints about the reduction fishery are as old as the fishery. The same recycled arguments have been made since the 1800s.

Read the full opinion piece at the Virginian-Pilot

USGS Challenges Simple Narrative Linking Menhaden to Osprey Decline

May 5, 2025 — The following was released by the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition:

A letter from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) sent last week to the House Natural Resources Committee indicates multiple environmental stressors—not just prey availability—are responsible for recent osprey reproduction issues in the Chesapeake Bay. The USGS’ conclusions challenge narratives pushed by menhaden fishery opponents, including a widely publicized study by Dr. Bryan Watts of the Center for Conservation Biology, which linked a decline in osprey reproduction in Virginia’s Mobjack Bay to reduced availability of menhaden.

Menhaden increase in osprey diets is statistically insignificant

Specifically, the USGS finds that the Watts et al. (2024) study did not demonstrate a biologically significant change in the proportion of menhaden in the osprey diet over time. The agency also noted that menhaden made up a slightly higher portion of the diet in 2021 compared to 2006–07, although the difference is statistically insignificant. “Although the proportion of Menhaden as a percentage of total diet in 2021 is numerically larger than the 2006–07 value, the two values are bounded by overlapping error bars, and are thus not different in a biologically meaningful way,” the letter stated.

“The amount of food delivered to young in a nest can be influenced by many factors, including prey abundance, access to prey, … increased predation risk, parental condition, brood size, and adverse weather conditions,” said the USGS letter, which was delivered on May 2. “Ecological systems such as this are complex and occur at large scales that make it difficult and sometimes not possible to measure and accurately estimate the influence of all contributing factors.”

Chesapeake osprey trends also seen around the country

Following bird conservation measures including the banning of DDT, the Atlantic Coast osprey population increased by nearly 600% between 1966 and 2022. In the Chesapeake Bay, it has increased by about 1800% since 1960. While scientists have observed a leveling off of osprey populations between 2012 and 2022, populations remain high by historical standards. Furthermore, the USGS reports that this trend has been observed in numerous other locations including Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Delaware, as well as the Pacific Coast, raising serious questions about any impact from the menhaden fishery since there is no menhaden fishery in those locations.

Overfished Striped Bass also an important food source for osprey

The USGS also identifies striped bass as an important food source for osprey in parts of the Chesapeake Bay and notes that the status of this stock may influence osprey reproduction. “Preliminary observations made by USGS scientists during a 2024 Osprey nesting study in the vicinity of the Choptank River suggest Menhaden and Striped Bass may be the primary prey type there,” the letter states. It further explains that “the principal contributing factor to poor breeding performance was loss of young due to starvation,” likely caused by “limited prey capture and/or prey delivery to nests.” Additionally, the letter notes that “the USGS has included Striped Bass among the list of prey species captured and consumed by Osprey at some Chesapeake study sites,” and concludes that “many of the factors that affect the status of the Striped Bass stock in the Chesapeake could also have direct or indirect effects on Osprey reproduction.”

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) has found that Atlantic striped bass are currently overfished, with spawning stock biomass below the sustainable threshold as of the most recent assessment. Over the past decade, recreational fishing—particularly in the Chesapeake Bay—has been the primary driver of striped bass mortality, accounting for the vast majority of total removals, including substantial losses from catch-and-release mortality¹. The ASMFC has repeatedly cited recreational release mortality as a major factor in the species’ decline² and has responded with new management measures aimed at rebuilding the stock by 2029³.Conversely, the Atlantic menhaden fishery has repeatedly been found to be healthy and sustainably managed. The most recent stock assessment by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission in 2022 found menhaden is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring. The fishery has been certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council, the gold standard for seafood sustainability, since 2019.

Osprey nesting sites in the Chesapeake are now at a surplus

The USGS scientists reported that the number of breeding pairs in the Chesapeake Bay increased from approximately 1,450 pairs in 1973 to around 10,000 pairs in 2020—an increase of nearly 600 percent. “All estimates indicate that the density of breeding pairs of Osprey in the Chesapeake has grown substantially since the 1970s,” the letter states. It also notes that “there are many natural structures, duck blinds, and manmade platforms suitable for nesting Osprey in the Chesapeake,” and that “Osprey nesting sites in the Chesapeake are now at a surplus and unused platforms are frequently being taken over by Canada Geese.” While the letter does not conclude that the population has exceeded environmental limits, it acknowledges that “as a natural population regulation process,” higher osprey densities increase competition for limited resources such as food and nesting sites, and that “growth usually continues until the population reaches the maximum population size the environment can support.”

VIMS also found no clear relationship with menhaden

Last fall, scientists from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) also found that the Watts study did not “establish a clear relationship with menhaden abundance and availability.” Both the original Watts study⁴ and the VIMS rebuttal⁵ were published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.

The USGS findings make clear that osprey reproduction is shaped by a wide array of environmental factors—and that no single fishery can shoulder the blame. The letter shows that blaming the menhaden fishery for complex ecological trends in osprey populations oversimplifies the science and misleads the public. Moreover, the overfished status of striped bass—driven largely by recreational fishing—may also be a contributing factor.

Footnotes

¹ Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Atlantic Striped Bass Stock Assessment Update. October 2022.

² Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Amendment 7 to the Atlantic Striped Bass Interstate Fishery Management Plan. May 2022.

³ Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Addendum II to Amendment 7. January 2024.

⁴ Watts Bryan D. , Stinson Christine H. , McLean Peter K. , Glass K. Andrew , Academia Michael H. , Byrd Mitchell A. (2023). Prey provisioning and diet of Osprey in lower Chesapeake Bay: A comparative study. Frontiers in Marine Science.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1284462/full

⁵ Latour Robert J. , Gartland James , Ralph Gina M. (2024). Commentary: Prey provisioning and diet of Osprey in lower Chesapeake Bay: A comparative study. Frontiers in Marine Science.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1416687/full

Could planned federal funding cuts jeopardize Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay restoration plans?

April 28, 2025 — The Trump administration’s plans to propose budget cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) could jeopardize efforts to restore the health of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF).

According to the CBF, the administration’s potential budget cuts would slash NOAA’s total budget by $1.7 billion, from $6.1 billion to $4.5 billion. It would also reduce funding for the National Marine Fisheries Service by approximately 30 percent.

How would the cuts affect the Chesapeake Bay?

The proposed budget plan would significantly reduce NOAA’s financial support and scientific leadership for Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts.

Under the plan, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), which currently operates with a budget of $1.1 billion, would be reduced to $789.3 million in fiscal year 2026 under the planned budget.

The NMFS houses NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Office, which leads science initiatives across the region and works closely with the EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program on restoration efforts, according to the CBF.

Read the full story at CBS News

US lawmakers propose transferring blue catfish inspections back to the FDA

March 27, 2025 — Recently introduced legislation meant to improve conservation in the Chesapeake Bay region of the United States would also reduce inspection requirements for blue catfish, making it easier to operate a commercial fishery.

“The bill would also enable more watermen to improve their bottom line by harvesting invasive blue catfish,” Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) Federal Director Keisha Sedlacek said in a statement. “This would help protect native Bay species and the seafood industry from this voracious predator while supporting the region’s economy.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Supreme Court denies fishing case

March 13, 2025 — The Supreme Court has denied a hearing for a coalition of Maryland fishing associations and charter boat operators seeking to overturn new striped bass fishing restrictions. But for Captain Robert Newberry, chairman of the Delmarva Fisheries Association, the legal battle is far from over.

“It’s not good that we were denied the hearing in front of the Supreme Court, but this is far from over. We are in it to win it. We will be announcing our next move within a week,” Newberry said.

The coalition had filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court to block the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s new restrictions, arguing they imposed “drastic, unwarranted, and illegal limitations” on striped bass fishing in the Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic coast. The March 4 petition claimed the regulations violated the U.S. Constitution and threatened the livelihoods of small fishing businesses.

Read the full article at Southern Maryland News

VIRGINIA: Virginia lawmakers look to reduce restrictions on harvesting invasive blue catfish

February 6, 2025 — Lawmakers in the U.S. state of Virginia have introduced a bill to eliminate restrictions on harvesting of blue catfish, an invasive species that has devastated ecosystems in the Chesapeake Bay region.

Since their introduction to the Chesapeake Bay as a recreational fish in the late 1960s, predatory blue catfish have come to dominate waters in Virginia and neighboring Maryland.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Omega Protein lawsuit claiming foreign profits from Chesapeake Bay dismissed

January 13, 2025 — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Omega Protein and its fishing operation in the Chesapeake Bay Ocean Harvesters that claimed they were controlled by a foreign company.

The lawsuit was filed three years ago in the Southern District of New York, where a judge dismissed the claim earlier this month. It was filed under the False Claims Act, which permits people to sue on behalf of the federal government if they allege that the government is being defrauded. However the government opted not to participate in the lawsuit.

Cooke Seafood of New Brunswick, Canada purchased Omega in 2017. The lawsuit claimed that the owners of Omega and Ocean Harvesters were Canadian citizens and controlled the Bay operation.

Company spokesman Ben Landry said that was shown to be false in the more than 100 pages of documents filed as required during Cooke’s purchase transaction.

“The owners are U.S.-born. They’re Americans citizens, and it’s a U.S. company headquartered in Virginia, and so hopefully this puts that argument to bed,” Landry said. “They were born in southeast Georgia, and they have full citizenship to own U.S. companies and property.”

Read the full article at WAVY

Monty Deihl: Let’s set the record straight about menhaden fishing

December 18, 2024 — The following is an excerpt from an opinion piece published by The Virginian-Pilot and the Daily Press. It was written by Monty Deihl, the CEO of Ocean Harvesters, Inc. He is a native of Reedville, where he and his wife raised their family, and a retired Air Force officer.

A guest column published on Dec. 11 (“Menhaden harvesting has an impact on local fisheries”) contained several inaccuracies regarding the menhaden fishery — including Reedville-based companies Ocean Harvesters and Omega Protein — and the state of the Atlantic menhaden population.

Omega Protein neither “farms” fish nor engages in aquaculture. Menhaden used in Omega Protein’s products are harvested by Ocean Harvesters, an independent company that operates a fleet of nine vessels out of Reedville. Omega Protein processes the menhaden harvested by Ocean Harvesters into products that improve the nutritional integrity of foods, dietary supplements, and animal feeds.

The menhaden population is not “dwindling.” The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) reports menhaden populations are abundant and sustainably managed. Menhaden are not overfished and are not experiencing overfishing. The biomass exceeded 4.5 million metric tons in 2022, while total commercial landings amounted to just 195,387 metric tons. The ASMFC says menhaden biomass has been stable since the 1960s.

At the August ASMFC meeting, both the representative from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Maryland governor’s appointee stated there are “no menhaden” in Maryland. Ironically, in October, the Maryland DNR juvenile striped bass survey found that juvenile menhaden abundance in the Chesapeake Bay over the past two years is at the highest level measured since 1990.

The menhaden fishery is certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. This required a rigorous, independent evaluation by third-party auditors confirming a healthy biomass, minimal environmental impact and a robust management system.

Atlantic menhaden is the first U.S. species managed to account for predator forage needs. In 2020, after a decade of work, the ASMFC implemented “ecological reference points.” This was applauded by numerous environmental advocates and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Although some critics in the recreational fishing community claim a distinction between the coast-wide and Chesapeake Bay menhaden populations, no evidence supports this. Menhaden are migratory, naturally moving in and out of the Bay. At a Dec. 6, 2022, meeting, Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) scientists called “localized depletion” claims speculative and unsupported by evidence.

In recent months, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and other groups publicized a controversial study allegedly linking menhaden harvesting and negative osprey reproductive success. At the August ASMFC meeting, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Maryland executive director offered a motion creating a workgroup to consider more precautionary management of menhaden based on the study. But an article in the current Bay Journal highlights criticism from three VIMS fisheries scientists, who questioned the study’s data, methods and conclusion linking osprey nesting issues to menhaden fishing.

Antagonism between commercial menhaden and recreational fishing interests is nothing new. It was first reported in The New York Times in 1895. But recently, threats on social media and physical attacks on commercial vessels escalated to the point that Virginia amended its laws in 2024 to increase penalties for such dangerous actions. We are thankful to the governor, delegates and commercial watermen from other fisheries who worked hard to change the law to increase public safety.

Today, Ocean Harvesters and Omega Protein are the largest providers of union jobs with full benefits, and the largest minority employers in Northumberland County, serving as key economic drivers. My family has worked in the menhaden industry in Reedville for more than 100 years; it clothed and fed me, put me through school, and today employs my children and supports my grandchildren.

For more than a century, those in the Northern Neck’s menhaden fishing industry have defended their livelihoods against unfounded claims that menhaden purse-seine fishing harms recreational fishing. The debate will continue, but it must be based on fact. And the regulation of this job-creating industry must also be based on fact — not politics and unsubstantiated conjecture.

Read the op-ed at The Virginian-Pilot

Maryland county takes on international offshore wind company to save commercial fishing jobs

December 18, 2024 — On the largely undeveloped Delmarva peninsula – which is surrounded by the Chesapeake Bay to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east and includes portions of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia – local lawmakers are getting ready to take on a major international wind power company in an effort to save its crucial commercial fishing industry.

The Worcester County Commissioners in Maryland approved a resolution on Tuesday to acquire two properties in West Ocean City Harbor through eminent domain, which US Wind plans to develop into an operations and maintenance facility as it constructs a wind farm off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland. The action was taken in an effort to protect the county’s historic commercial and sport fishing industries.

The commissioners passed the resolution as US Wind, a subsidiary of Italian-based Renexia SpA, plans to construct a 353-foot-long-by-30-foot-wide concrete pier at the harbor to service vessels used to construct a proposed wind farm consisting of up to 118 turbines at least 15 miles off the coast of Ocean City. Along with the pier, the company plans to install 383 feet of bulkhead.

The two properties the county plans to acquire are currently being used by Southern Connection Seafood and the Martin Fish Company, which are the only two commercial seafood wholesalers in the area where watermen can offload and sell their catches.

The county’s plans for the two properties include developing a long-term lease with the existing owners, allowing them to continue serving the needs of the commercial fishing industry, according to the resolution that was passed.

“The commercial fishing industry is an integral and essential part of Worcester County’s economy,” the resolution reads, adding that it, along with the sport fishing industry, are dependent on commercial marine support in and around West Ocean City Harbor.

Read the full story at FOX Business

2024 Juvenile Fish Survey Shows Promising Results for Chesapeake Bay Menhaden

December 12, 2024 — The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition (MFC) said that recent findings from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) 2024 juvenile striped bass survey showcased great news for juvenile menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay.

The MFC explained that while news around striped bass reproduction wasn’t great, positive trends were seen around the key forage species of menhaden and spot.

“Encouraging results were documented regarding two species lower on the food chain,” DNR wrote. “Menhaden abundance was nearly equal to last year, which was the highest measured since 1990. Spot abundance was the highest measured since 1988. These species are vital to the ecology of the Bay as a food source for many other species of fish and wildlife.”

Read the full article at Seafoodnews.com