Poll finds Virginians overwhelmingly support stronger protections for menhaden in Chesapeake Bay

RICHMOND, Va. — An overwhelming majority of Virginians want tighter protections for menhaden, a small but ecologically vital fish in the Chesapeake Bay, according to a recent bipartisan poll.

Ninety-two percent of registered voters surveyed said Virginia should leave more menhaden in the Bay, where they serve as a critical food source for larger fish, osprey, and whales. The poll of 600 voters, conducted July 30 to Aug. 5 by one Republican and one Democratic research firm, found strong support for scaling back industrial fishing of the species.

Menhaden in Virginia waters are targeted by Omega Protein, a subsidiary of Canadian company Cooke, Inc., and its partner Ocean Harvesters. The companies use spotter planes, purse seine nets, and vacuum pumps to harvest more than 100 million pounds of menhaden from the Bay each year in what’s known as a reduction fishery. The fish are processed into animal feed, fertilizer, and dietary supplements.

Concerns about the scale of that industry have grown amid reports of steep declines in menhaden catches by Maryland watermen and small Virginia operators, as well as widespread starvation of osprey chicks. Conservation groups argue that Virginia lacks the scientific data needed to determine how much fishing the Bay can withstand, pointing to industry resistance to sharing catch information.

Poll results show broad bipartisan backing for reforms. Seventy-nine percent of voters said Virginia should halt large-scale menhaden fishing in the Bay until research identifies sustainable harvest levels. Eighty-five percent supported allowing menhaden fishing in the Atlantic Ocean, but not in the Bay, where juvenile fish grow. Eighty percent favored dedicating $5 million in state funding for a management study.

The survey also found that 92 percent of Virginians support requiring commercial menhaden companies to publicly release data about where they fish and how much they catch.