Atlantic Commission Considers New Restrictions on Virginia Menhaden Fishery

CHESAPEAKE BAY – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s menhaden management board voted last week to explore additional restrictions on Virginia’s sole commercial menhaden reduction fishery amid concerns about declining fish populations in the Chesapeake Bay.

The board tasked a workgroup with developing options to spread out fishing caps throughout the year for Ocean Harvesters, which contracts with Reedville-based Omega Protein. The company currently operates under reduction fishing caps of 51,000 metric tons, processing fish into oil and fishmeal.

Maryland officials say menhaden populations are not reaching northern Chesapeake Bay waters despite being accounted for elsewhere in the bay. Lynn Fegley of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, who introduced the motion for further restrictions, said smaller Maryland fisheries are suffering as a result.

Will Poston, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s forage fish manager, said the reduction fishery’s pressure has increased during mid-summer, potentially creating a bottleneck that prevents menhaden from reaching Maryland waters. Maryland’s stationary pound net fisheries have established data showing reduced catches.

The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition disputed claims that their operations block fish migration or cause declining osprey populations. Coalition representatives said six fishing boats cannot blockade the lower Chesapeake Bay and noted that Maryland experienced a major fish kill in summer 2024 attributed to low oxygen levels from water quality issues.

A 2022 stock report accepted by the commission found that menhaden are not overfished along the Atlantic Coast. However, some environmentalists believe Chesapeake Bay populations specifically are declining, with broader data masking localized problems.

The U.S. Geological Survey presented findings last summer suggesting osprey declines in the Chesapeake Bay resulted from complex ecological stressors rather than simply menhaden availability. Commercial menhaden yields have dropped in recent years according to board members.

Fourteen board members voted in favor of the workgroup, with Virginia and New Jersey representatives opposing. The workgroup will present management recommendations at the commission’s winter 2026 meeting.

Options under consideration include seasonal or area closures, quota periods, gear restrictions, or further reducing fishing caps. Board members acknowledged that similar concerns about menhaden yields, striped bass decline, and osprey populations exist along the coast beyond the Chesapeake Bay.