ACCOMAC, Va. — A 90 percent decline in nesting osprey on Virginia’s Delmarva Peninsula, documented in a May 2025 survey by Dr. Bryan Watts of The College of William and Mary’s Center for Conservation Biology, signals a collapse of the region’s osprey population. The study, conducted along the seaside of Virginia’s Eastern Shore, points to limited prey availability as the primary cause, with menhaden, a small, oily fish, being a critical food source for osprey. The Chesapeake Bay, home to the world’s largest breeding population of ospreys, is seeing chicks starve in nests and reproduction rates drop below historic lows from the 1970s DDT crisis.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) supports these findings, stating in a recent letter to Congress, “Limited prey availability, their capture or their delivery to nests is seemingly the principal driver of poor reproductive success.” The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) also raised concerns, urging “serious consideration of reducing purse seine fishing in the Bay” due to insufficient data on the impacts of industrial menhaden fishing in Virginia waters.
Virginia remains the only Atlantic coast state permitting industrial menhaden reduction fishing in its waters. Omega Protein, based in Reedville, harvests over 100 million pounds of menhaden annually from the Commonwealth’s waters. Critics, including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, argue that Omega’s lobbying has blocked funding for essential menhaden research, leaving gaps in understanding the fishery’s ecological impact.
Chris Moore, Virginia Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, stated, “Virginia is the epicenter of both the industrial menhaden fishery and incredibly concerning warning signs. The data shows osprey starving in portions of the Chesapeake Bay, and now a total osprey collapse along the seaside of Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Had Omega Protein not consistently opposed menhaden science, Virginia would be developing better answers on ecology and fishery impacts during these challenging times. No company blocks science with the best interest of the public and the environment at heart. We don’t have perfect science, but we have enough to acknowledge a problem. It’s time for Virginia to act. Virginia must take this challenge head-on and consider opportunities to ensure enough menhaden are in state waters when osprey and other vulnerable predators need menhaden.”
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is set to review potential menhaden management measures for the Chesapeake Bay in the coming months. The VIMS letter highlighted that data on the concentrated menhaden fishery’s effects remains “woefully inadequate,” complicating efforts to address the osprey decline.
Historically, menhaden have been a staple for osprey in the tidal Chesapeake Bay. The ongoing scarcity, coupled with Omega Protein’s significant harvest, has raised alarms among conservationists and researchers. The collapse on the Eastern Shore, a region frequented by Omega’s operations, underscores the urgency of addressing prey availability for osprey and other predators reliant on menhaden.
