RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia lawmakers are considering a package of bills this legislative session aimed at expanding scientific research on Atlantic menhaden and reshaping how the industrial fishery operates in the Chesapeake Bay.
The proposals would redistribute menhaden harvest levels within the Bay, establish a formal observer program aboard fishing vessels, create a new science fund, and potentially pause industrial-scale menhaden fishing in the Bay while additional research is conducted.
Supporters say the legislation responds to mounting concerns about climate change, declining forage fish populations, and the concentration of industrial menhaden harvests in the Chesapeake Bay — one of the East Coast’s most ecologically sensitive nursery areas.
Menhaden, a small, oily fish, play a central role in the Bay’s food web, serving as a primary food source for species including striped bass, red drum, osprey, dolphins and humpback whales.
In recent years, biologists and watermen have reported troubling signs. Osprey chicks are starving at unusually high rates in parts of the Bay where menhaden traditionally make up a large portion of their diet. At the same time, small-scale commercial fishermen who harvest menhaden for bait have seen sharp declines.
According to data from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, Virginia’s bait harvest fell from 5.4 million pounds in 2019 to less than 1 million pounds in 2024.
Industrial menhaden fishing in Virginia is dominated by Omega Protein and its partner, Ocean Harvesters, which operate a processing facility in Reedville. The companies account for roughly 70 percent of all menhaden harvested along the Atlantic Coast, with more than 100 million pounds taken from the Chesapeake Bay annually.
While coastwide stock assessments are conducted by regional fisheries managers, Bay-specific data remain limited. A recent scientific assessment found significantly fewer menhaden along the Atlantic Coast from Maine to Florida than previously estimated, renewing calls for localized research within the Chesapeake Bay.
Previous efforts to fund a Bay-specific menhaden study have failed in the General Assembly, amid opposition from industry representatives.
Several bills now under consideration seek to address those gaps:
- House Bill 1048, sponsored by Del. Betsy Carr, would pause industrial menhaden fishing inside the Chesapeake Bay until research demonstrates the practice does not harm the ecosystem. Fishing would still be permitted in the Atlantic Ocean, and the industry’s overall harvest quota would remain unchanged.
- Senate Bill 474, sponsored by Sen. David Marsden, would establish a Menhaden Science Fund administered by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science to support Chesapeake-specific research.
- House Bill 1049, also sponsored by Carr, would reduce ecological impacts by setting seasonal harvest limits and requiring independent observers aboard industrial menhaden vessels to collect data and ensure regulatory compliance.
Public support for reform appears strong. According to recent bipartisan polling, 92 percent of Virginia voters favor leaving more menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay, and 79 percent support halting large-scale commercial menhaden fishing in the Bay until additional science is completed.
Lawmakers are expected to continue debate on the measures as the session progresses.
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