The entire Atlantic Coast catch of 400 million fish is taken from an area that covers less than 1% of the certified fishery.
Atlantic Menhaden
Found in coastal and estuarine waters from Nova Scotia to northern Florida, Atlantic menhaden play many important roles. They are filter feeders, primarily consuming phytoplankton and zooplankton in the water column. They constitute the largest landings, by volume, along the Atlantic Coast of the United States of any commercial fishery. Menhaden are harvested mainly for use as salmon farm and industrial animal (beef, chicken, pork) feed, and bait for fisheries including blue crab and lobster. In estuaries like the Chesapeake Bay, they are the primary food source for marine mammals like dolphins, striped bass and other predatory fish, as well as for predatory and migratory birds, including osprey, eagles, pelicans, gannets and others.
The Atlantic Coast Issue
The entire catch of 400 million fish is taken from an area that covers less than 1% of the certified fishery.
Every other state on the Atlantic Coast bans reduction fishing in their coastal waters.
Every other state on the Atlantic Coast bans reduction fishing in their coastal waters.
The certified menhaden fishery covers an area in excess of 350,000 square miles. It includes all Atlantic State coastal waters from shoreline to 3 miles out, even though every other state on the Atlantic Coast has restricted menhaden reduction fishing except for Virginia. Also included are the Federal waters called the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The Federal EEZ starts at 3 miles offshore and goes to 200 miles out. The Certifiying agencies, Federal and Virginia State regulatory agencies, and the reduction industry all claim there are billions of menhaden in the ocean.
The Chesapeake Bay estuary is acknowledged by all to be the primary nursery for menhaden on the Atlantic Coast. Despite this fact, repeated requests of the Federal and Virginia State regulatory agencies to consider the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia Coastal waters separately from the ocean in their modeling or management has repeatedly been denied.
The issue is that while we agree that there are possibly billions of menhaden in the ocean, the reduction industry is taking almost every last fish in an area of less than 3,000 square miles. This targeting of the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia coastal waters are concentrated to an area less than 1% of the total fishery. This is causing the degradation of Virginia's marine ecosystems.
The goal is to restrict menhaden reduction fishing to Federal waters only (3 miles out and beyond) on the Atlantic Coast.
The Chesapeake Bay estuary is acknowledged by all to be the primary nursery for menhaden on the Atlantic Coast. Despite this fact, repeated requests of the Federal and Virginia State regulatory agencies to consider the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia Coastal waters separately from the ocean in their modeling or management has repeatedly been denied.
The issue is that while we agree that there are possibly billions of menhaden in the ocean, the reduction industry is taking almost every last fish in an area of less than 3,000 square miles. This targeting of the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia coastal waters are concentrated to an area less than 1% of the total fishery. This is causing the degradation of Virginia's marine ecosystems.
The goal is to restrict menhaden reduction fishing to Federal waters only (3 miles out and beyond) on the Atlantic Coast.
The dots are net set locations for a typical annual menhaden harvest. All of the reduction fishing on the Atlantic Coast is taking place in the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia coastal waters, and in Federal waters off the coasts of Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, Delaware, and NJ.
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The white line with fish symbols represents the outer boundry of the Federal waters (EEZ), > 335,000 square miles. The red marked area of concentrated reduction fishing represents less than 1% of the total certified fishery, < 3,000 square miles.
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“...it’s worth pointing out that in bays and estuaries up and down the coast where mass-scale menhaden harvest has long been banned, local striped bass populations remain strong.” - Boat U.S. Magazine
Unanimously Passed, Northampton County Resolution to Ban Industrial Menhaden Reduction Fishing in the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia State Waters
Eastville, VA. Tuesday, January 9th, 2024. - Northampton County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a Resolution “APPROVING THE COUNTY’S POSITION THAT INDUSTRIAL ATLANTIC MENHADEN FISHING SHOULD BE PROHIBITED WITHIN THE WATERS OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY AND THREE MILES OF ALL LANDS OF THE COMMONWEALTH AND REQUESTING THAT THE VIRGINIA MARINE RESOURCE COMMISSION AND STATE AGENCIES LEGALLY ESTABLISH AND ENFORCE A PROHIBITION OF THE INDUSTRIAL ATLANTIC MENHADEN FISHERY WITHIN THE WATERS OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY AND WITHIN THREE MILES OF ANY LANDS OF THE COMMONWEALTH.”
Northampton County, VA at the southern tip of the Eastern Shore takes the brunt of the impact wrought by the reduction industry. They have asked Governor Youngkin to restrict menhaden reduction fishing near shore in Virginia waters. Contact Governor Youngkin and let him know what your opinion is. Governor Glenn Youngkin - https://www.governor.virginia.gov/communicating-with-the-governors-office/ + VA Governor phone number and mailing address - https://www.virginia.gov/agencies/office-of-the-governor/
Read the entire resolution here:
Northampton County, VA at the southern tip of the Eastern Shore takes the brunt of the impact wrought by the reduction industry. They have asked Governor Youngkin to restrict menhaden reduction fishing near shore in Virginia waters. Contact Governor Youngkin and let him know what your opinion is. Governor Glenn Youngkin - https://www.governor.virginia.gov/communicating-with-the-governors-office/ + VA Governor phone number and mailing address - https://www.virginia.gov/agencies/office-of-the-governor/
Read the entire resolution here:
| 1.9.2024_northampton_va_menhaden_resolution_press_release.pdf |
ICES Journal of Marine Science peer reviewed article on the importance of healthy Chesapeake Bay Menhaden populations:
"Predation on age-0 and older Atlantic menhaden by piscivorous fish, such as striped bass Morone saxatilis, and by many avian predators is substantial within the Bay and coast-wide, to the extent that biomass removed by predation could be of the same magnitude as mortality from the fishery."
This speaks to the great dependance of all other bay marine species on the menhaden as their primary protein source. Menhaden should be managed by ASMFC and VRMC to create maximum abundance, not minimal sustainability.
"Predation on age-0 and older Atlantic menhaden by piscivorous fish, such as striped bass Morone saxatilis, and by many avian predators is substantial within the Bay and coast-wide, to the extent that biomass removed by predation could be of the same magnitude as mortality from the fishery."
This speaks to the great dependance of all other bay marine species on the menhaden as their primary protein source. Menhaden should be managed by ASMFC and VRMC to create maximum abundance, not minimal sustainability.
By-Catch Loophole
In Virginia the reduction fishing industry says they have no by-catch, even though in the Gulf they publicly admit to 5%. What's the magic trick in Virginia?
The rules in Virginia were specifically written to benefit the industry and whitewash the circumstances of by-catch. On the Virginia fleet they use what is called an exclusion grate. After the school of menhaden and any by-catch are captured into the tighten ball of the purse-seine net they begin to vacuum up all the fish into the hull of the mother ship. At this point the masses of tightly packed fish are being squeezed under their own weight and suffocating for lack of oxygenated water. On the other end of the giant vacuum tubes, before going into the hold there is an exclusion grate sized so any larger fish, or other species, are bounced off and thrown back into the water. Unfortunately, at this point they are usually either already dead, or mortally injured.
The magic trick (regulation) is, that since they had never put them in the hold of the mother ship, they are not considered by-catch. Whether they die or not is of no consequence. http://www.reddrum.com/deadreddrum.shtml
The rules in Virginia were specifically written to benefit the industry and whitewash the circumstances of by-catch. On the Virginia fleet they use what is called an exclusion grate. After the school of menhaden and any by-catch are captured into the tighten ball of the purse-seine net they begin to vacuum up all the fish into the hull of the mother ship. At this point the masses of tightly packed fish are being squeezed under their own weight and suffocating for lack of oxygenated water. On the other end of the giant vacuum tubes, before going into the hold there is an exclusion grate sized so any larger fish, or other species, are bounced off and thrown back into the water. Unfortunately, at this point they are usually either already dead, or mortally injured.
The magic trick (regulation) is, that since they had never put them in the hold of the mother ship, they are not considered by-catch. Whether they die or not is of no consequence. http://www.reddrum.com/deadreddrum.shtml
Osprey populations in the Cheasapeake Bay are declining.
Research done at the College of William and Mary shows a steep decline in osprey reproduction in the Chesapeake Bay. The research blames an increasing scarcity of Atlantic menhaden as the reason for the decline.
A new story from the Baltimore Sun
https://www.thebaltimorepost.com/2024/09/12/baltimore-sun-osprey-starvation-in-the-chesapeake-bay-spurs-renewed-debate-about-fish-harvest/
Read the latest article from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation
https://www.cbf.org/blogs/save-the-bay/2024/06/the-osprey-garden-a-chesapeake-eden-at-risk.html
Watch this news story from WFXR FOX TV in Roanoke, Virginia
A new story from the Baltimore Sun
https://www.thebaltimorepost.com/2024/09/12/baltimore-sun-osprey-starvation-in-the-chesapeake-bay-spurs-renewed-debate-about-fish-harvest/
Read the latest article from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation
https://www.cbf.org/blogs/save-the-bay/2024/06/the-osprey-garden-a-chesapeake-eden-at-risk.html
Watch this news story from WFXR FOX TV in Roanoke, Virginia
"Historically, Chesapeake Bay has supported the largest concentration of breeding ospreys in the world."
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science website
Atlantic menhaden (Brevortia tyrannus) is the major food source for ospreys in lower Chesapeake Bay, accounting for nearly 75% of the birds’ diet.
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science website
https://www.vims.edu/bayinfo/ospreycam/about_ospreys/
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science website
Atlantic menhaden (Brevortia tyrannus) is the major food source for ospreys in lower Chesapeake Bay, accounting for nearly 75% of the birds’ diet.
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science website
https://www.vims.edu/bayinfo/ospreycam/about_ospreys/
Virginia Politicians accept donations from the reduction industry.
Unfortunately, politicians on both sides of the aisle have been accepting donations from the reduction fishing industry and their lobbyists for many years, including every recent Virginia Governor. Their continuing silence speaks to the power of money. The following link will take you to a listing of donations made in Virginia over the past 10 years. https://www.vpap.org/donors/137690-omega-protein/?start_year=2013&end_year=2023
"All I know is fishing in the lower bay catching croakers, cobia, and flounder one day then those f-ing menhaden boats came in next day, nothing. All the fish and crustaceans in the bay need these fish for food and this industry needs to go outside the bay to 3 miles offshore." - K. Stoffel, Virginia
The Goals for the Atlantic Coast
1. Restrict reduction fishing to Federal waters (U.S. EEZ 3+ miles offshore). Virginia is the only state left on the Atlantic Coast that allows reduction fishing in state coastal waters. Or ban reduction fishing in American waters entirely.
2. Support a healthy menhaden bait fishery. Have the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and state authorities manage the fishery for maximum abundance, not minimal sustainability.
2. Support a healthy menhaden bait fishery. Have the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and state authorities manage the fishery for maximum abundance, not minimal sustainability.
