Press Statement

While a broadly supported pause on the industrial fishery in the Bay is no longer on the table this session, hope remains for menhaden research and reform in Virginia after a House subcommittee advanced a key proposal yesterday.

Menhaden are small fish that are a key food for larger species. They are also the target of a major extraction fishery concentrated around the Chesapeake Bay. Warning signs are growing around menhaden, including starving osprey chicks and plummeting catches by small-scale watermen.

Yesterday afternoon the House Agriculture Chesapeake and Natural Resources – Chesapeake Subcommittee reported out an amended version of Del. Betsy Carr’s H.B. 1049. The bill would require fisheries observers and set different menhaden harvest levels at different points of the year to better protect menhaden and many other species that depend on them for food. CBF expects this bill will be further refined as it moves through the General Assembly.

However, a separate bill that would move the fishery out of the Bay while research occurs (H.B. 1048) was tabled at the subcommittee hearing, pulling it from consideration this session.

Research into menhaden specific to the Chesapeake Bay remains “woefully inadequate,” according to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. A budget amendment by Del. Carr under consideration would invest in menhaden science in the Bay. This comes after a bill that aimed to establish a menhaden science fund failed to clear the Senate Finance Committee last week (S.B. 474, patroned by Senator David Marsden).

Recognizing the level of concern around the issue, Congress passed legislation last month that included funding for NOAA to support menhaden research in the Bay. As timing for federally-supported research remains uncertain, state investment is urgently needed to boost these efforts.

According to recent bipartisan polling, 92 percent of Virginia voters want to leave more menhaden in Chesapeake Bay, while 79 percent support ending large-scale commercial menhaden fishing in the Bay until there is more science.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Forage Campaign Manager Will Poston issued the following statement on menhaden legislation in the Virginia General Assembly.

“The menhaden industry’s well-oiled lobbyists ensured there was not political will this session to move industrial menhaden fishing out of the Bay until science can show it’s not causing harm. That’s a frustrating blow.

“Thanks to Delegate Carr’s leadership, two options remain this session to protect menhaden. The Chesapeake Subcommittee advanced one proposal to better manage the menhaden fishery in the Bay. In addition, Delegate Carr’s budget amendment would invest in sorely-needed research specific to menhaden in the Bay.

“We must not prioritize the short-term interests of a single corporation over the long-term interests of all the Commonwealth and the Chesapeake Bay. Bipartisan polling shows Virginians overwhelmingly support conservation-minded menhaden reforms.

“A menhaden study has been delayed for years amid industry concerns. While the Bay continues showing signs of stress, osprey starve and bait catches plummet. We can’t afford to keep kicking this down the road. We urge legislators to support Delegate Carr’s legislation and budget amendment.

“The safest approach remains to pause menhaden reduction fishing inside the Chesapeake Bay until the science is finalized and shows what level of industrial menhaden extraction is sustainable in the Bay. We’ll continue to advocate at all levels to save menhaden in the Bay.”

Excess road salt that washes into rivers and streams can threaten wildlife and drinking water

This winter season, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) urges Maryland agencies, community associations, and residents to use road salt sparingly when treating ice and snow.

Road salt is an unpurified version of table salt, sodium chloride. Though it’s useful for melting ice off our roadways, it can be dangerous for our waterways—and it’s often over-applied. After application, salt accumulates on streets, sidewalks, and cars, and eventually flows into the nearest river or stream when the snow melts or it rains.

Rapid spikes in salinity levels from road treatment can harm or kill freshwater fish and other aquatic species, and contaminate our region’s drinking water sources.

While there are no perfect replacements for road salt, some less harmful alternatives exist, such as calcium magnesium acetate (CMA), sand, or even kitty litter. Residents can also be sure to shovel early and often, or reuse excess road salt that may have accumulated in their neighborhoods.

Maryland Department of the Environment has been working to implement a new training program meant to reduce road salt usage. The program would benefit the state’s streams, drinking water reservoirs, and wildlife. 

However, as precipitation patterns become increasingly unpredictable in the face of climate change, it’s critical that the agency and other road-salt applicators remain vigilant.

Gussie Maguire, Maryland Staff Scientist at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, said in a statement:

“Heavy ice and snow do not need heavy salt application. A little goes a long way.

“This winter, let’s go light on the road salt—and encourage your neighbors, HOAs, and county and state officials to do the same. Our local waterways and wildlife will thank you.

“Snow is a key ingredient to a healthy Bay. Our brackish Bay needs balance between fresh and salt water—and snowmelt, just like rainfall, is an important freshwater input. Let’s not counteract that harmony with harmful chemicals and heavy-handed salt usage.”

Last week, a major sewer line collapse caused millions of gallons of untreated wastewater to spill into the Potomac River just north of Washington, D.C. in Montgomery County, Maryland. The responsible water authority, D.C. Water, is currently working to contain the sewage overflow and limit contamination from entering drinking water supplies and the Chesapeake Bay.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Maryland Staff Scientist Gussie Maguire issued the following statement:

“Any amount of untreated sewage in our rivers and streams is unacceptable, but the volume of this spill is alarming. We are closely monitoring this incident and D.C. Water’s cleanup efforts – especially given additional challenges from snow, ice, and subfreezing temperatures.

“The Potomac River is one of the Chesapeake Bay’s largest tributaries and is the only source of drinking water for people in the D.C. area. Untreated sewage can contain toxic chemicals, microplastics, pharmaceuticals, excess nutrients, viruses, and bacteria. These pollutants can pose health risks to people and animals who come in contact with or ingest untreated water. Additionally, excess polluted nutrients that will be carried into the Chesapeake Bay can feed algal blooms, which in turn cause dead zones and fish kills.

“Maryland, D.C., and Virginia have made significant investments in recent years towards reducing wastewater pollution. However, this incident proves that consistent pipe and infrastructure maintenance, and continued diligence, are still needed to protect our drinking water and wildlife across the region.”

Virginia lawmakers this month are considering a suite of bills that could provide much-needed Chesapeake Bay menhaden science and overhaul the industrial menhaden fishery in the Commonwealth.

Those include separate proposals to better distribute menhaden catches in the Chesapeake Bay, implement a robust observer program to ensure compliance with regulations, and institute a pause on industrial-scale menhaden fishing in the Bay while the Commonwealth undertakes research.

These legislative efforts are the result of escalating concerns about the impact of climate change on the region’s fisheries and the menhaden extraction industry’s concentrated harvest in and around the Chesapeake Bay.

Osprey chicks are starving at unprecedented levels in parts of the Bay where they traditionally depend on menhaden for food. Small-scale watermen on the Bay who catch menhaden for bait have seen their catches plummet. In Virginia, small-scale bait harvest dropped from 5.4 million pounds in 2019 to less than 1 million pounds in 2024, according to data from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.

Menhaden are a key to the Bay’s food web. These small fish are a nutritious staple for many larger animals, including striped bass, redfish, osprey, dolphins, and humpback whales.

One industry with a processing plant in Virginia is responsible for the harvest of more than 100 million pounds of menhaden in the Bay each year. Omega Protein and their partner Ocean Harvesters extract about 70 percent of menhaden caught along the East Coast. Much of the fishery is concentrated inside the Chesapeake Bay, a sensitive nursery area for hundreds of species.

Science specific to menhaden in the Bay is lacking. But a new assessment by fisheries experts shows far fewer menhaden than previously thought along the Atlantic Coast from Maine to Florida. In previous years, bills to launch a Chesapeake-specific menhaden study have failed amidst concerns by Omega Protein’s lobbyists.

Legislation under consideration this session would provide much-needed accountability and additional conservation and protection. That includes:

• Approving a pause on industrial menhaden fishing inside the Chesapeake Bay until comprehensive research shows it is not harming the ecosystem. The industry could still fish in the Atlantic Ocean, as they already do regularly, and would not experience an overall reduction in their harvest quota. (HB1048, patroned by Delegate Betsy Carr).
• Establishing a Menhaden Science Fund led by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (SB474, patroned by Senator David Marsden).
• Reducing the harm of the industrial menhaden industry by setting different harvest limits at different points in the year, as well as requiring fisheries observers on industrial menhaden fishing trips to collect data and ensure compliance (HB1049, patroned by Delegate Betsy Carr).

Virginians overwhelmingly support reform. According to recent bipartisan polling, 92 percent of Virginia voters want to leave more menhaden in Chesapeake Bay, while 79 percent support ending large-scale commercial menhaden fishing in the Bay until there is more science.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Forage Campaign Manager Will Poston issued the following statement:

“Virginia is facing a crisis. All the warning signs point towards very real problems with the Bay’s menhaden population.

“Omega Protein’s industrial-scale menhaden extraction risks causing long-term harm to the cherished Chesapeake Bay estuary. It’s common sense to pause industrial menhaden fishing in the Chesapeake Bay until science can show whether it’s sustainable.

“Directly and indirectly, menhaden are essential to the livelihoods of countless Virginia small businesses, families, and communities. Responsibly managing the fishery protects the menhaden industry’s own workers, who have the most to lose if the fishery collapses.

“Polls show Virginians overwhelmingly support menhaden fishery reform. It’s long past time that the Commonwealth more conservatively manages the menhaden fishery for all that rely on this public resource.”

“We look forward to working with legislators and the Spanberger Administration to chart a sustainable, productive future for the Bay’s fisheries and the Commonwealth’s coastal communities.”

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Urges Governor and Legislators to Work Together to Pass a Budget That Protects the Chesapeake Bay

Amid calls by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) to preserve funding for a healthy environment, today Maryland Governor Wes Moore released his preliminary budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2027.

Maryland is at a critical point for the Chesapeake Bay, seeking to continue progress on Bay restoration amid historic budget challenges, changes to key legislative leadership roles, and the impacts of policy and funding decisions made at the federal level.

Last year, CBF and its members spoke out and helped ensure environmental priorities were protected as the Governor and General Assembly closed a budget deficit of over $3 billion. The FY’ 27 preliminary budget addresses a projected $1.5 billion shortfall.

During the 2026 General Assembly session, CBF will be urging legislators to prioritize environmental efforts that are long-lasting, cost-effective, and directly confront climate change. To achieve this goal, Maryland must:

• Invest in capacity for state agencies that protect clean water and air, including the Departments of the Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture, as well as the Maryland Energy Administration;
• Secure funds that support clean water and healthy habitats, supporting long-term resilience, jobs, economies, food sources, and recreational benefits;
• Protect land preservation programs that have secured hundreds of thousands of acres of open space in every corner of the state;
• Sustain funding that will help Maryland achieve its ambitious clean energy and climate resiliency goals.

CBF is closely reviewing Gov. Moore’s proposed budget and will continue to advocate for investments in these vital programs.

CBF Maryland Executive Director Allison Colden issued the following statement:

“Investing in the environment is an investment in Maryland’s future. With continued uncertainty at the federal level, Maryland’s leadership is more important than ever to sustain our progress for Marylanders and the Chesapeake Bay. Maryland’s investments in healthier, more resilient waterways are not just good for the Bay, but also support jobs, improve human health, and provide numerous other benefits.”

“We appreciate Governor Moore’s leadership and the many difficult decisions made by him and his team to balance their preliminary budget plan. We urge the Governor and General Assembly leaders to prioritize the Bay as they finalize the Maryland budget.”

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has announced her picks for several state positions key to Virginia’s environment and the Chesapeake Bay.

They include Maribel Castaneda as Deputy Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources, Mike Rolband as Director of Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality, Nikki Rovner as Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and Sarah Spota as Deputy Director of Conservation and Recreation.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Virginia Executive Director Chris Moore issued the following statement.

“With this team, the Spanberger Administration will be well-positioned to protect Virginia’s environment. We thank Governor Spanberger for her thoughtful nominations and look forward to working with her Administration to ensure a healthy environment for all Virginians.”

EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program gets slight funding bump

Important programs that fund Chesapeake Bay clean up were spared in a minibus spending bill passed by the U.S. House yesterday by a 397-28 vote. The Senate is expected to vote on the minibus package next week.

The House budget defends key environmental agencies and programs from heinous cuts proposed by the Trump Administration. These dollars go directly to oyster restoration, land preservation, and scientific research across the country and Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The House’s package also provided an increase of $1 million to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Chesapeake Bay Program more than its current funding level of $92 million, which was requested by the Trump Administration.

Additionally, it provides essential funding for key agencies and programs that protect clean water and the Chesapeake Bay that were under greater threat, including:

• Funding for multiple Chesapeake Bay initiatives at the Department of the Interior, including the Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense (WILD) grants at $8 million. These grants support community-led initiatives that restore and conserve fish and wildlife habitat. The House’s budget also continues funding for U.S. Geological Survey activities in the Chesapeake Bay, which provide Bay states and other restoration partners with unbiased scientific information to help manage the watershed’s lands, waterways, fish, and wildlife. $3 million was also budgeted for the National Park Service’s Chesapeake Gateway and Water Trails. President Trump’s budget request had suggested zeroing out these programs.
• $57.685 million for habitat conservation and restoration, with $3.2 million specifically for Chesapeake Bay oyster restoration—the largest oyster restoration effort in the world. $8.7 million was provided for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Bay watershed education and training program, which gets students and teachers outside learning about nature here in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and across the nation. Trump’s FY26 budget had attempted to zero out Bay-related NOAA initiatives.

The minibus’s bipartisan support from Democrats and Republicans in the House demonstrates that these investments in the Bay are worth saving. If the bill passes in the Senate and is signed by the president, it will ensure funding for agencies through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30 and avoid another near-term government shutdown.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Senior Policy Director Keisha Sedlacek issued the following statement:

“We are thankful that members of Congress are fighting for the federal investments needed to provide clean water and air to benefit communities across the Chesapeake Bay watershed and local economies across our region.

“Bipartisan support for these investments shows that protecting clean water and the Chesapeake Bay truly is an issue that benefits us all. We’re grateful to House members for once again sticking up for our environment and the Chesapeake Bay, and urge the Senate to swiftly pass this minibus bill.”

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Calls on Legislators to Support Clean Water, Environmental Education, and Resilience 

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin today proposed a two-year budget that includes investment in farm conservation practices, stormwater, and sewage treatment plant upgrades, which all reduce pollution to Virginia rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.  

Gov. Youngkin’s budget proposal comes after earlier this month he joined three other governors from the region, along with other federal and state leaders, in committing to a Chesapeake Bay restoration plan for the next 15 years. Investment in state programs that cut pollution is important to the success of this plan.  The budget includes the following levels of proposed funding:  

• $286 million for the Virginia Agricultural Cost-Share program, which helps farmers install projects that reduce pollution to local waterways, including fencing cattle from streams and planting trees along rivers. Investing in agriculture is one of the most cost-effective ways to prevent pollution to rivers, streams, and the Chesapeake Bay.  
• $140,555,000 to continue installing pollution-slashing upgrades to Virginia wastewater treatment plants. The ongoing modernization of these plants has shown massive results in reducing pollution to the Bay. But this proposal falls significantly short of what assessments show is needed to reduce wastewater pollution.   
• $43,494,528 for the Stormwater Local Assistance Fund, which helps communities reduce polluted runoff—one of the fastest-growing sources of water pollution—from pavement and buildings in cities and suburbs. 
• Reduces funding for water and air monitoring by almost $2 million. 
• Removes all funding for addressing the Richmond Combined Sewer Overflow.  

The budget shortchanges Virginia’s pollution reduction efforts by committing less Water Quality Improvement Fund (WQIF) dollars than required by statute. The General Assembly should ensure the full amount of WQIF dollars are committed to Virginia’s wastewater and agricultural pollution reduction efforts. 

Virginia’s two-year budget will be considered during Virginia’s upcoming legislative session and take effect during the incoming Spanberger Administration. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is calling on Virginia legislators to:  

• Rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) as soon as possible and commit $100 million in General Funds to the Community Flood Preparedness Fund (CFPF), which provides grants that protect homes and businesses from flooding.  
• Invest $50 million the Stormwater Local Assistance Fund. 
• Increase funding for the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) to $7 million, supporting private property owners, schools, and community organizations in installing nature-based projects that reduce stormwater pollution. 
• Fund and make permanent Virginia’s Pay for Outcomes program, an innovative approach to clean-water projects that ties state investment to measurable results—spurring efforts that cut pollution most effectively.  
• Support environmental education by investing $1.5 million annually in the Virginia Watershed Education Program Fund to help ensure every Virginia student has the opportunity for hands-on learning with Virginia’s extraordinary natural resources. Governor Youngkin’s budget proposal cuts supplemental funding for environmental education when Virginia is already woefully behind.   
• Allocate $4 million to the Department of Forestry’s Trees for Clean Water grant program, which supports community-based tree planting and restoration projects in a time when Virginia is losing tree cover at an alarming rate. 

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Virginia Policy Manger Jay Ford issued the following statement: 

“Investing in clean water and preparing for climate change strengthens our economy, protects lives and livelihoods, and creates a more beautiful Virginia. 

“Though Governor Youngkin’s budget proposal includes funding for farm conservation work, stormwater, and wastewater treatment plant upgrades, it still falls woefully short. Virginia communities desperately need support to prepare for increasingly severe storms and flooding.  

“Virginia now has an opportunity support innovative work to reduce pollution, respond to the rapid tree cover decline, and educate the next generation with hands-on outdoor learning. We look forward to working with legislators and the incoming Spanberger Administration to invest in clean water, resilience, and a thriving, prosperous Virginia in the future.”  

Last week, the Cecil County Circuit Court granted a stay, or hold, on the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s (CBF) challenge to a Maryland discharge permit for the proposed AquaCon salmon aquaculture facility in Port Deposit, Maryland. The stay will remain in place while the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) reviews a permit modification request from AquaCon that has the potential to better protect water quality in the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay.  

In April 2025, CBF challenged MDE’s wastewater discharge permit for the proposed facility because it would not adequately prevent pollution from entering Maryland waterways. AquaCon’s newly proposed facility is just five miles upstream from the famed Susquehanna Flats underwater grass beds—a critical nursery habitat for striped bass, perch, American and hickory shad, and other iconic Bay wildlife. 

After CBF’s case was filed, AquaCon submitted a permit modification request asking MDE to strengthen six key provisions in the permit. The requested modifications have the potential to improve the permit’s environmental protections, and therefore the parties have agreed to pause the lawsuit pending the completion of the permit modification process.  

CBF’s legal challenge is based on serious concerns regarding the facility’s wastewater discharge permit for its purge water. Purge water is the slimy rinse water that’s generated when land-grown fish are held prior to harvest to rid them of a musty taste. Maryland’s discharge permit regulates how much purge water, and whatever nutrient, sediment, and other pollution it contains, can be piped directly into the Susquehanna River—which contributes roughly 50 percent of the total freshwater into the Bay.  

Most concerning in the original permit was the large volume of pollution allowed to enter the river, and the lack of a complete and enforceable nutrient offset plan, which is intended to mitigate the facility’s environmental harm. AquaCon’s permit modification request attempts to address several of the concerns raised in the case by making pollution limits more stringent. 

All parties have agreed to put a hold on CBF’s lawsuit pending the final permit modification process. This process will include another chance for CBF and community members to review the proposed revisions to the permit and provide comments. Interested parties can attend a public informational meeting held by MDE on Jan. 7 at 5:30 pm at the Cecil County Public Library. 

A wastewater discharge permit is just one of several permits AquaCon must obtain before it can operate. CBF will be monitoring this project closely as it progresses. 

CBF’s Maryland Staff Scientist Gussie Maguire issued the following statement: 

“The Susquehanna Flats are simply too precious to roll the dice. Land-based, recirculating salmon farming is still an experimental industry. As the first of its kind in Maryland, the AquaCon facility must be held to the highest sustainability standards. 

“We’re hopeful that this process will lead to a stronger permit and, in turn, cleaner water and protection of critical habitats. We will be keeping a close eye on this permit modification process and future permits as the project continues.” 

Peña-Melnyk Steps into Speakership at a Critical Time in Maryland’s Progress Towards Healthy Water, Air, and Improved Resilience Against Climate Change

Today, members of the Maryland General Assembly met in special session to elect Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk as Speaker of the House. Speaker Peña-Melnyk has been a state representative for nearly 20 years, representing parts of Prince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties. She succeeds Speaker Adrienne Jones, who stepped down from the position earlier this year. 

Speaker Peña-Melnyk brings a wealth of experience to her new role, having served as Chair of the Health and Government Operations Committee since 2022. The committee has seen firsthand the importance of efficient, well-resourced government services to achieve environmental progress, as well as the direct connection between clean air and water and public health. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) congratulates Speaker Peña-Melnyk on her historic election and looks forward to working with her on critical environmental priorities. 

CBF Maryland Executive Director Allison Colden issued the following statement: 

“Congratulations to Maryland’s new House Speaker, Joseline Peña-Melnyk. Maryland has long been a national leader in environmental stewardship thanks to leaders like Peña-Melnyk. 

“Our parks, farms, forests, and waterways are what make Maryland such a great place to live, even as pressures of a growing population mount and the effects of climate change are felt on a daily basis. The House of Delegates has historically prioritized the environment in their policy and budget decisions, and we look forward to this continuing under Speaker Peña-Melnyk’s leadership.”