If you care about the Chesapeake, you care about menhaden—whether you know their name or not.
These small, nutrient-packed fish sit at the center of the Bay’s food chain. They are a critical food source for the wildlife people come to the Chesapeake to see and enjoy—striped bass, bluefish, weakfish, ospreys, and even marine mammals along the Atlantic coast. Menhaden also do something rare for a fish: they help support cleaner water. As filter feeders, they can filter up to seven gallons of water each minute as they feed. A healthy Bay needs a healthy forage base, and menhaden are a big part of that foundation.
Year after year, the Bay’s menhaden population has been put under intense pressure—especially from industrial “reduction” fishing that harvests menhaden at massive scale to be processed into products like fish meal and fish oil (used in things like pet food and supplements). In Virginia, this industrial fishery is operated by a single company—Omega Protein—and industry interests, including Omega Protein and Ocean Harvesters, have participated in the legal process surrounding menhaden management.
In Virginia, the agency responsible for managing this public fishery is the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC). Virginia law requires VMRC to follow specific conservation and management standards when it sets harvest rules—standards meant to prevent overfishing, use the best available science and data, and allocate the resource fairly.
In recent years, VMRC increased the allowable menhaden harvest in Virginia waters and the Chesapeake Bay—permitting roughly 50 million additional pounds of menhaden beyond prior limits to be taken each year (about 75–100 million additional fish). Meanwhile, overall industrial harvest has remained enormous—well over 300 million poundsannually (roughly 700 million fish). When too many menhaden are removed from the system, the ripple effects show up across the ecosystem. Scientific studies have documented localized depletion of menhaden in the Bay, with harmful effects on sportfish and osprey populations. The Bay’s striped bass are already at emergency levels, and ospreys—one of the Chesapeake’s sentinel species—are struggling, too.
This is where Chesapeake Legal Alliance stepped in.
In spring 2023, Chesapeake Legal Alliance filed suit in Richmond City Circuit Court on behalf of the Southern Maryland Recreational Fishing Organization to ensure VMRC follows its legal mandate to protect the marine resources of Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay. The goal is straightforward: require management that actually applies the conservation standards the law demands—management that protects the Bay’s living resources using the best available science.
VMRC tried to dismiss the case on procedural grounds, but the court denied that effort in October 2023 and confirmed that VMRC must issue menhaden regulations “in accordance with” the standards in Virginia Code § 28.2-203. Despite those early rulings, in December 2025 the court denied the petition, and Chesapeake Legal Alliance is disappointed that the decision did not meaningfully address the core arguments. Going forward, CLA will continue fighting for citizens’ right to a healthy Bay ecosystem—and for thriving menhaden, osprey, and striped bass populations.
Meanwhile, as of November 2025, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s science teams acknowledged menhaden populations are imperiled and recommended greater than 50% reductions in harvest to protect menhaden and help prevent striped bass collapse. The Atlantic Commission ultimately voted for only a 20% coastwide reduction. Chesapeake Legal Alliance is closely watching VMRC’s next regulatory actions and stands ready to challenge any unlawful decision-making.
Because this isn’t only about ecology. The Chesapeake’s recreational fishing economy supports real livelihoods—bringing in $990 million annually and supporting nearly 10,000 local jobs. When the Bay’s foundation is treated like an extractable commodity, the cost isn’t paid by a single species. It’s paid by the whole web of life—and the communities built around it.
If you want a Chesapeake where wildlife thrives and the food web holds, protecting menhaden is one of the most concrete steps you can take.
Support the work. A donation helps fund the legal, scientific, and advocacy work needed to defend menhaden and strengthen Bay protections.
Make your voice heard. If you live in Virginia or Maryland, contacting your elected leaders helps push decision-makers toward responsible, science-based management.
Questions or want to get involved? Email david@chesapeakelegal.org.
