Osprey Starvation in Virginia and Maryland Linked to Menhaden, New Study Finds

Amid continuing concerns about the availability of menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay, a study released this week shows that osprey chicks are starving in nests in parts of the Bay where they typically depend on menhaden for food.

The most recent update, released by the William and Mary’s Center for Conservation Biology, shows that osprey young are not surviving at rates that sustain the population.

The primary factor for the loss of young osprey is starvation, according to the study. The findings this week support other recent surveys by USGS and Center for Conservation Biology showing osprey nesting failures. 

The latest study surveyed data from 12 different sites this year in both Virginia and Maryland.

Osprey young were struggling to survive at 10 sites in saltier waters where osprey primarily depend on menhaden for food. However, osprey young had much higher survival rates in two freshwater sites studied for reference, where they eat mainly catfish and gizzard shad.

Menhaden are a key part of the Chesapeake Bay food chain, serving as a food for striped bass, osprey, and whales. 

For years, the industrial harvest of menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay by Omega Protein and affiliate Ocean Harvesters, owned by Canada-based Cooke Inc., has raised concerns due to threats to other species.   

Last month, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted to form a workgroup to consider additional restrictions on the industrial harvest of menhaden, following a presentation of survey results showing low osprey nesting success. 

Virginia failed to fund a study earlier this year that would shed much-needed light on potential localized depletion of menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay. Existing data concentrates solely on the menhaden population coastwide, leaving unanswered questions about the impacts of industrial fishing in the Bay. 

Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) Virginia Executive Director Chris Moore issued the following statement: 

“The management of the menhaden fishery, one of the most critical species in the Bay ecosystem, is operating with a question mark. We don’t have a full understanding of the impacts of industrial fishing in the Bay because Omega Protein continues to delay much needed scientific answers to this urgent question. 

“This year’s osprey data adds to the growing concerns about the number of menhaden in the Bay and the importance of a robust menhaden population for species that depend on them for food and Virginia’s economy.  

“We must follow a precautionary, ecosystem-based approach to setting limits on the menhaden fishery. That approach must include the study of the industrial fishing impacts to the Bay, as well as considering seasonal fishing closures from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.”