The large-scale commercial harvest of Atlantic menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay could be slashed later this year. The move might help starving osprey chicks and other struggling fish but could also hurt a Virginia fishing village where hundreds of jobs rely on menhaden.
The Atlantic States Fisheries Commission, which regulates near-shore fishing for migratory species, is seeking public comment on whether to cut the “reduction” fishery’s harvest of menhaden in the Bay by as much as 50%. They also want feedback on whether to set quota periods that would spread that harvest more evenly from spring through fall.
Credit: Dave Harp
The commission approved a range of Bay harvest cuts for consideration at its Aug. 5 meeting in Crystal City, VA. It acted in response to complaints of plummeting catches by Maryland bait fishers and to reports of osprey reproduction declining drastically, for lack of food, in the middle and lower Chesapeake and elsewhere along the East Coast.
Menhaden are a small, oily fish that range along the Atlantic coast. They are a vital link in the marine food chain, preyed upon by larger fish, marine mammals and birds — ospreys in particular.
They are harvested chiefly for “reducing,” or processing, them into animal feed and human food supplements. But they are also caught by individual fishers for use as bait in crabbing, lobstering and catching other finfish.
The Atlantic menhaden reduction fishery is based in Virginia. Using airplanes to spot schools of the fish, a six-vessel fleet operated by Ocean Harvesters pursues them in coastal waters and in Virginia’s portion of the Bay —Maryland does not permit it. The fleet’s catch is landed in Reedville, VA, for processing at a plant there owned by Omega Protein.
Credit: Dave Harp
That reduction fishery has long been controversial, especially in the Bay, which is a prime nursery area for the coastal menhaden stock. Conservationists and sports anglers contend that the Ocean Harvesters fleet leaves too few fish in the water for striped bass and other creatures to sustain themselves.
The controversy has escalated in recent years amid evidence that ospreys around the Bay and elsewhere along the Mid-Atlantic coast are failing to produce enough young to sustain their population. Empty nests and dead, emaciated chicks have been found in waters where ospreys usually rely on catching menhaden for food, scientists say.
In 2025, Maryland fishery officials reported that catches of menhaden for bait in their waters have declined sharply. They asked the commission for help, suggesting that the Virginia fleet may be intercepting the fish as they migrate up the Chesapeake.
Ocean Harvesters and Omega counter that there is no evidence that their harvests are responsible for the struggles of ospreys, striped bass or bait fishermen.
A 2025 assessment by fisheries experts found that the coastwide menhaden population is not overfished, but it did not look specifically at conditions in the Chesapeake. Sports anglers, environmentalists and some scientists contend that the reduction fishery may be causing or contributing to a localized depletion in the Bay.
Credit: Dave Harp
After years of debate on that question, Congress earlier this year appropriated $2.5 million to study menhaden abundance and harvests in the Bay. Virginia chipped in another $2 million.
It may be several years, though, before that research yields answers. The Atlantic states commission has already cut the ocean menhaden harvest by 20% this year, hoping it will leave more of the fish for struggling striped bass to feed on as they recover from being overfished. That coastal cut to 187,000 metric tons did not apply in the Bay, where the reduction fishery cap of 51,000 metric tons remains unchanged.
At its Aug. 5 meeting, the commission heard from both sides on whether to change the Bay harvest rules.
Virginia Del. Adele McClure, a member of the state’s delegation to the commission, urged managers to wait for the research to decide if changes are warranted.
“Without that complete picture, without the proper Bay-specific data, I feel like we are putting the cart before the horse instead of availing ourselves [of] the upcoming studies and data that could finally guide us,” she said. She argued that it would be premature to take actions that could harm an industry in her state before studies show it is necessary.
Ben Landry, spokesman for Ocean Harvesters, warned that significant harvest reductions could result in layoffs. The fishing fleet and processing plant in Reedville employ about 260 people, he said. Previous cuts the commission made in the Bay harvest cap have shrunk the payroll, he said, noting that 15 years ago the fleet had four more of the large seine net vessels.
Credit: Dave Harp
But sports anglers and conservationists argued that the commission has a responsibility to curb catches as a precaution even if science hasn’t proved the large-scale harvest is responsible for the lack of menhaden in the Bay. The ospreys’ nesting failures are a warning sign of broader ecological disruption, they contend.
“The Chesapeake Bay cannot continue to wait for perfect information,” said Joanie Millward, executive director of the nonprofit Virginia Osprey Foundation.
The commission’s vote to put potential cuts out for public comment passed 16 to 2, with states from Maine to North Carolina in favor. Only Virginia and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, a bi-state body that regulates harvest in that Bay tributary, opposed moving ahead.
In the next couple of months, the commission plans to hold hearings, particularly in the most affected states of Maryland and Virginia. It also plans to seek public input via webinars, possibly an online survey and through email. Details on those outreach efforts are forthcoming.
The commission expects to make a final decision at its annual meeting in November in Newport, RI.