Surprisingly, little is known about the Chesapeake Bay’s menhaden, despite this fish’s immense ecologic importance. While the Bay experiences rapid changes and osprey chicks starve, why won’t Virginia fund the science its scientific advisors say we need? What is the single foreign-owned industrial-scale menhaden company on the Atlantic coast so fearful of?
The 2025 Virginia legislative session wrapped up last month, and while legislators advanced many important CBF priorities, three separate efforts to fund menhaden science failed, repeatedly hitting roadblocks from the industrial menhaden fishing industry and their extensive stable of lobbyists.
Simply put, there isn’t enough science to ensure a sustainable menhaden fishery in the Chesapeake Bay. Each additional year without dedicated science, the risks to the Bay’s ecosystem and predator species grow. Given that the one foreign-owned industrial fishing corporation (Omega Protein) continues to block gathering data, fishery managers must employ additional menhaden conservation for the Bay until a study is funded and science can lead the way. There is no other response for Omega Protein and their operations in the Bay—their ability to influence political decisions and prevent scientific efforts has gone too far.
Once again Omega Protein and their lobbyists have thwarted good faith efforts to develop the necessary science for the Chesapeake Bay.
Angler groups and conservation organizations decried the latest setback. “This is not just bad news for fishermen, but bad news for a Chesapeake Bay ecosystem that continues to scream warnings about menhaden,” said CBF Virginia Executive Director Chris Moore. “For years, we’ve lacked the baseline knowledge we need to establish robust and lasting sustainability for menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay.”
This is the second consecutive year that industry has blocked menhaden research in Virginia after supporting the effort previously.
Why Are Menhaden Important?
Menhaden are a nutrient-packed forage fish, fueling ecosystems and fisheries here in the Chesapeake Bay and throughout the Atlantic coast. Historically, the Chesapeake Bay supported a thriving and abundant menhaden population. But the Bay also hosts a highly efficient, high volume industrial menhaden fishery. Menhaden are managed as a coastwide stock, which is healthy according to recent stock assessments. However, science specific to Chesapeake Bay menhaden is extremely lacking—a serious concern given the volume of menhaden removed from the Bay annually. Real warning signs about the Bay’s menhaden population could be masked by menhaden numbers in New England, for example.
“One foreign-owned entity continues to stand in the way of good science—Omega Protein, the largest harvester of menhaden on the Atlantic Coast,” Moore said. “Once again Omega Protein and their lobbyists have thwarted good faith efforts to develop the necessary science for the Chesapeake Bay.”
For nearly three decades, recognizing their immense ecologic and economic value, CBF has engaged on menhaden advocacy, consistently seeking science-based, precautionary fisheries management strategies that promote a healthy menhaden population in and around the Bay.
The Chesapeake Bay region, and Virginia specifically, is ground-zero for menhaden disputes.
- Historically, nearly three-quarters of all Atlantic menhaden harvests are landed in Virginia, at the sole remaining reduction plant along the coast, by a single foreign-owned company, Omega Protein. This means that hundreds of millions of pounds of menhaden are removed from in and around the Chesapeake Bay each fishing season.
- No other region along the Atlantic coast hosts an industrial menhaden fleet comprised of massive fishing vessels, dozens of net-setting boats, and numerous spotter planes.
- For years, local anglers, small-scale commercial fishermen, scientists, and conservationists have sounded the alarms about this unparalleled fishery and what it means for the health of the Bay. Yet these concerns have all too often been brushed away. Just look at the last three years, the relatively cheap and cooperatively developed scientific study plan for menhaden in the Bay remains unfunded. Something has to change.
- Following the General Assembly’s passage of Senate Bill 1388 in 2023, a diverse group of stakeholders from the scientific, conservation, recreational fishing, and reduction fishing industry convened a workshop later that summer to develop a research plan focused on some of the most pressing questions related to menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay. That effort resulted in the VIMS Menhaden Study Plan that was transmitted to the General Assembly that fall.
- The Chesapeake Bay desperately needs this science to determine the health of its menhaden population and those species and communities that depend on menhaden. In recent years, scientists have observed concerning trends of osprey nesting failures in Virginia’s portion of the Bay, with the prevailing theory being insufficient menhaden availability. As a keystone species here in the Bay, and potential “canary in the coal mine” indicator of something ecologically awry, this osprey trend should concern everyone, fishery managers included.
An osprey feeds three babies on the Rappahannock River. Increasing rates of nesting failures might be related to the availability of menhaden, a crucial food source for ospreys, in the Chesapeake Bay.
Gretchen Davis
Why Is the Science so Limited?
Earlier this year during Virginia’s 2025 legislative session, state legislators proposed three separate opportunities to fund the VIMS Menhaden Study Plan. Delegate Paul Milde (R-64-Stafford) developed two funding vehicles, House Bill 2713 and Budget Amendment 148#4h. Unfortunately, both of Del. Milde’s initiatives failed to advance. Fortunately, there was also another funding opportunity at play; Delegate Betsy Carr (D-78-Richmond) led an additional effort to include the necessary funding in the Commonwealth’s budget.
The fact that basic scientific questions about this resource remain unaddressed, and the industry isn’t hiding its efforts to prevent that science, should concern all of us
Thanks to her hard work, Del. Carr’s funding plan got very close to crossing the finish line. Dedicated, sorely needed menhaden science in the Bay almost happened. However, it ultimately was not included in the budget. The menhaden reduction industry lobbied intensely this session against funding the menhaden study.
Kudos go out to Delegates Betsy Carr and Paul Milde as well as Speaker Don Scott. These legislators fought for menhaden science, but other influential interests ultimately prevailed.
The menhaden reduction industry did not hide their efforts to stymie menhaden study plan funding. Yes, the same study plan that Omega Protein representatives helped develop and previously supported was actively targeted by the industry. Throughout the 2025 legislative session, the reduction industry had a team of six influential lobbyists advancing their interests. The fact that basic scientific questions about this resource remain unaddressed, and the industry isn’t hiding its efforts to prevent that science, should concern all of us and potentially warrant new, precautionary management strategies.
Atlantic menhaden are a shared public resource that benefit countless ecosystems and species integral to the health of the Chesapeake Bay. The industry harvesting the vast majority of menhaden in the Bay doesn’t want menhaden science . . . hmm, something smells fishy.
Commercial netters encircle a large menhaden school as the Omega Protein mothership approaches.
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and CosmoVision Media
