Fisheries Commission Advances Proposal for Chesapeake Bay Menhaden Protections

Facing persistent warning signs for menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) today advanced a proposal that could cut the Bay’s industrial menhaden harvest by up to half. The ASMFC expects to open the proposal to public comment in the coming weeks, with a final decision possible at the Commission’s annual meeting in November.

Menhaden are a key fish in marine food chains, feeding osprey, striped bass, and other wildlife. The menhaden reduction fishery is an industrial operation concentrated in the Chesapeake Bay, where a fleet of vessels catches more than 100 million pounds of the fish each year. The ASMFC is considering reforms to address ongoing concerns, including starving osprey chicks and plummeting bait catches for Bay watermen.

The proposal is part of the latest update to the plan for managing the menhaden fishery up and down the East Coast, known as Draft Addendum II. The new ASMFC document details several options for protecting menhaden in the Bay, including cutting the Chesapeake Bay reduction fishery harvest cap by up to 50 percent and spreading reduction fishing more evenly across the fishing season.

Currently, much of the industrial menhaden harvest takes place in the late spring and summer, when both osprey and crab fisheries need menhaden the most. Implementing quota periods to better spread the industrial menhaden harvest out throughout the season could avoid harm to osprey and protect the livelihoods of small-scale menhaden fishermen who catch menhaden for blue crab bait.

On a near-unanimous vote, the Commission’s Atlantic Menhaden Management Board approved the measure for public comment. Virginia was the only state that voted against moving forward.

The ASMFC is expected to open the addendum to public comments in the coming weeks, before making a final decision on any new protections at its annual meeting in November. Final action at that meeting means the new protections could be in place in time for the 2027 fishing season.

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

“The Chesapeake Bay is sending out an unmistakable call for help. Fisheries regulators are hearing the warning by wisely advancing new measures that could protect the Bay’s menhaden.

“Now the public must weigh in. Considering the flashing warning signs in the Bay, we need strong, conservation-minded reforms and look forward to engaging with all of our members, partners, and concerned stakeholders.

“We commend the ASMFC for advancing these proposals for public comment and thank the commissioners for their nearly two years of hard work on this. Everyone who cares about the Bay should speak up. We can’t afford to miss our chance to protect the fish that fuels the Bay. Now is the time for strong action.”

“