Protecting the Chesapeake Bay
A healthy menhaden population supports a thriving Chesapeake Bay
Putting menhaden at risk harms the families, businesses, and communities that rely on the Bay.
Menhaden may be small, but they function as a cornerstone of the Chesapeake Bay. These forage fish are a key food source for striped bass, bluefish, osprey, whales, and many other species that define the Bay and support Virginia’s fishing and tourism economy.
The Chesapeake Bay serves as a vital nursery for Atlantic menhaden: a sensitive area where juvenile menhaden mature into young and adult menhaden. Omega Protein is disrupting this vital habitat.
Yet for years, industry has successfully blocked legislative action that would fund Chesapeake Bay menhaden science—critical to informing sustainable management. They’ve also blocked commonsense reforms and have a history of exceeding catch limits. Without meaningful change, time is running out to prevent further harm to our precious natural resources.
Why Menhaden Matter
Warning signs of menhaden decline in the Bay
Across the Chesapeake, warning signs of distressed menhaden populations are intensifying.
Osprey chicks are starving
Unprecedented starvation rates are appearing around the Bay where osprey depend on menhaden as their primary food source.
Watermen report dramatic catch declines. Small-scale fishermen who harvest menhaden for bait report catches have plummeted by over 70% in recent years. Virginia’s small-scale menhaden bait harvest dropped from 7 million pounds in 2022 to less than 1 million pounds in 2024. In Maryland, bait harvests fell from 3.5 million pounds in 2022 to just 500,000 pounds in 2025.
Climate change compounds the menhaden crisis
The Chesapeake Bay is already dealing with pollution, rising temperatures, invasive species, and habitat loss from climate change. With these mounting challenges, the Bay may no longer be able to support an industrial fishery targeting its foundational forage species.
Removing millions of pounds of menhaden from an already-stressed ecosystem, without adequate science, increases the risks to Virginia’s natural resources and coastal economy.
Too little science, too much risk
Despite the size of the industrial menhaden fishery in the Chesapeake Bay, there is very limited science on how many menhaden are in the Bay or how many can be sustainably removed. Experts have warned that current data is insufficient to ensure long-term sustainability.
For years, Omega Protein, Ocean Harvesters and their influential lobbyists have blocked funding for scientific studies of the Bay’s menhaden population. They’ve also exceeded catch limits in the Bay. Without meaningful change, time is running out to prevent lasting harm to the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.
Long-term, we need comprehensive research to understand what constitutes sustainable menhaden management in Virginia waters. But in the short-term, we must enact new protections to allow more menhaden to support the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.