Seeking to balance ecological and economic needs, East Coast fishery managers have decided to curb the commercial menhaden harvest along the Atlantic coast by 17% over the next two years — far less than what conservationists demanded but much more than what commercial fishers wanted.
Meeting in Newport, RI, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted Nov. 10 to cut the allowable coastwide catch by 9% in 2027 and by another 9% in 2028. The move was portrayed as a compromise to help struggling Atlantic striped bass and maybe ospreys without putting New England lobstermen and Virginia’s menhaden fleet out of business.
Menhaden are fatty fish that serve as food for other fish and wildlife, including ospreys and striped bass. Environmentalists worry that the declines in these predators are due to a decline of menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay, which has only been documented through fishermen harvest totals.
Menhaden also serve as lobster and crab bait for commercial fisheries from Maine to the Carolinas. The East Coast harvest is dwarfed, though, by the menhaden fishery in the Chesapeake Bay. Omega Protein, based in Reedville, VA, and its fishing partner Ocean Harvesters catch tens of thousands of tons of menhaden annually to pulverize or “reduce” them into fish oil and fish meal.
Growing reports of osprey nest failures around the Bay and along the coast have been tied at least in part to a shortage of menhaden. Likewise, anglers and conservationists have voiced fears that menhaden scarcity may be hindering the recovery of striped bass, a highly valued recreational and commercial fish that had been overfished.
But commercial fishing interests in New England and Virginia countered that scientific evidence is lacking to justify cutting the coastwide harvest. Any reduction, they warned, could squeeze their already tight margins and put them out of work.
The commission’s experts found that the coastal menhaden population is not overfished, but a reassessment in 2025 found that the commission’s population model had overestimated its abundance and reduced it by about a third.
Torn then by similar arguments pitting conservation against fishing jobs, the commission cut the coastwide harvest by 20% for 2026, less than what the experts had recommended. This fall, the commission’s experts projected that a 39% further reduction in coastwide catch would be needed to have a 50% chance of meeting the striped bass recovery target.
After hearing pleas for no cuts from New England lobster fishers and employees of Omega and Ocean Harvesters, the commission balked at making such a steep cut in the coastwide harvest. It likewise shunned calls to leave things as they are, with some members saying they were looking for a “sweet spot” to split the difference.
After some back and forth, the commission’s menhaden management board approved reducing the total allowable catch to 170,000 metric tons in 2027 and 155,000 metric tons in 2028 — a cumulative reduction of 17% from its current ceiling of 186,840 metric tons.
While Virginia officials originally opposed any cut, they eventually went along with the compromise. Maryland did not, continuing to seek a larger reduction. The debate split states up and down the coast, while the two federal agencies with votes, the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, consistently opposed deep cuts.
The commission faces more contentious decisions about menhaden on Nov. 11. It is scheduled then to decide whether to cut the reduction fishery in the Chesapeake Bay by up to 50% and possibly require it to be distributed more evenly throughout the season.
The Chesapeake has been under a menhaden harvest cap since 2006, which now stands at 51,000 metric tons per year. While the overall coastal population is not considered overfished, some see signs of a “localized depletion” in the Bay.
The Chesapeake is a major breeding ground for both ospreys and striped bass, and osprey nest surveys have linked the birds’ reproduction problems to a shortage of menhaden. Bait fishers in Maryland and Virginia also have reported dramatic catch declines in recent years.
Omega and its supporters argue that it’s premature to lower the Bay harvest cap until research can show whether its operation is depleting the Chesapeake’s menhaden. Federal and state funding has been awarded to study the issue, but results are not expected until 2028 at the earliest. Conservationists contend the Bay harvest should be reduced now as a precaution even amid uncertainty about the precise cause of the osprey and bait harvest declines.
Lobster harvesters and other fishing interests in New England, meanwhile, want a larger share of the overall menhaden catch, which the commission allocates by state. With declines in Atlantic herring, the region’s bait fishers say they are more dependent than ever on menhaden. The commission is scheduled to decide whether to grant that request, which could lower the allowable catch of other states.
