Latest news with #menhaden
The Independent
12-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
Osprey came back from the brink once. Now chicks are dying in nests, and some blame overfishing
Stepping onto an old wooden duck blind in the middle of the York River, Bryan Watts looks down at a circle of sticks and pine cones on the weathered, guano-spattered platform. It's a failed osprey nest, taken over by diving terns. 'The birds never laid here this year,' said Watts, near the mouth of Virginia's Chesapeake Bay. 'And that's a pattern we've been seeing these last couple of years.' Watts has a more intimate relationship with ospreys than most people have with a bird — he has climbed to their nests to free them from plastic bags, fed them by hand and monitored their eggs with telescopic mirrors. The fish-eating raptor known for gymnastic dives and whistle-like chirps is an American conservation success story. After pesticides and other hazards nearly eliminated the species from much of the country, the hawk-like bird rebounded after the banning of DDT in 1972 and now numbers in the thousands in the U.S. But Watts has documented an alarming trend. The birds, which breed in many parts of the U.S., are failing to successfully fledge enough chicks around their key population center of the Chesapeake Bay. The longtime biologist blames the decline of menhaden, a small schooling fish critical to the osprey diet. Without menhaden to eat, chicks are starving and dying in nests, Watts said. Osprey are an environmental indicator Watts's claim has put him and environmental groups at odds with the fishing industry, trade unions and sometimes government regulators. Menhaden is valuable for fish oil, fish meal and agricultural food as well as bait. U.S. fishermen have caught at least 1.1 billion pounds of menhaden every year since 1951. Members of the industry tout its sustainability and said the decline in osprey may have nothing to do with fishing. But without help, the osprey population could tumble to levels not seen since the dark days of DDT, said Watts, director of the Center for Conservation Biology at The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. 'The osprey are yelling pretty loudly that, hey, there's not enough menhaden for us to reproduce successfully,' Watts said. 'And we should be listening to them to be more informed fully on the fisheries side, and we should take precaution on the fisheries management side. But that hasn't won the day at this point.' Decline linked to menhaden in studies Watts, who has studied osprey on the Chesapeake for decades, has backed his claims of population decline by publishing studies in scientific journals. He said it boils down to a simple statistic — to maintain population, osprey pairs need to average 1.15 chicks per year. Osprey were reproducing at that level in the 1980s, but today in some areas around the main stem of the Chesapeake, it's less than half of that, Watts said. In particularly distressed areas, they aren't even reproducing at one-tenth that level, he said. And the decline in available menhaden matches the areas of nesting failure, Watts said. Also called pogies or bunkers, the oily menhaden are especially important for young birds because they are more nutritious than other fish in the sea. Osprey 'reproductive performance is inextricably linked to the availability and abundance' of menhaden, Watts wrote in a 2023 study published in Frontiers in Marine Science. Conservationists have been concerned for years, saying too many menhaden have been removed to maintain their crucial role in the ocean food chain. Historian H. Bruce Franklin went so far as to title his 2007 book on menhaden 'The Most Important Fish In The Sea.' Fishing industry pushes back Menhaden help sustain one of the world's largest fisheries, worth more than $200 million at the docks in 2023. Used as bait, the fish are critical for valuable commercial targets such as Maine lobster. They're also beloved by sportfishermen. The modern industry is dominated by Omega Protein, a Reedville, Virginia, company that is a subsidiary of Canadian aquaculture giant Cooke. The company pushed back at the idea that fishing is the cause of osprey decline, although it did acknowledge that fewer menhaden are showing up in some parts of the bay. Federal data show osprey breeding is in decline in many parts of the country, including where menhaden is not harvested at all, said Ben Landry, an Omega spokesperson. Climate change, pollution and development could be playing a role, said Landry and others with the company. Blaming fishing 'just reeks of environmental special interest groups having an influence over the process,' Landry said. New rules could be on the way The menhaden fishery is managed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, an interstate body that crafts rules and sets fishing quotas. Prompted by questions about ospreys, it created a work group to address precautionary management of the species in the Chesapeake Bay. In April, this group proposed several potential management approaches, including seasonal closures, restrictions on quotas or days at sea, and limitations on kinds of fishing gear. The process of creating new rules could begin this summer, said James Boyle, fishery management plan coordinator with the commission. The osprey population has indeed shown declines in some areas since 2012, but it's important to remember the bird's population is much larger than it was before DDT was banned, Boyle said. 'There are big increases in osprey population since the DDT era,' Boyle said, citing federal data showing a six-fold increase in osprey populations along the Atlantic Coast since the 1960s. Environmentalists says bird's decline could worsen To a number of environmental groups, any decline is too much. This irritates some labor leaders who worry about losing more jobs as the fishing industry declines. Kenny Pinkard, retired vice president of UFCW Local 400's executive board and a longtime Virginia fishermen, said he feels the industry is being scapegoated. 'There are some people who just don't want to see us in business at all,' he said. But Chris Moore, Virginia executive director for Chesapeake Bay Foundation, said the country risks losing an iconic bird if no action is taken. He said Watts's studies show that the osprey will fail without access to menhaden. 'Osprey have been a success story,' Moore said. 'We're in a situation where they're not replacing their numbers. We'll actually be in a situation where we're in a steep decline.' Whittle reported from Portland, Maine. ___ This story was supported by funding from the Walton Family Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Associated Press
17-05-2025
- Science
- Associated Press
What's Up? Media Article on Menhaden Fails to Tell Both Sides
WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESS Newswire / May 16, 2025 / A recent article by Lisa Lewis in What's Up? Media ('The Osprey-Menhaden Bay Connection,' 5/16) presents a one-sided perspective that echoes the claims of a well-funded coalition of special interest environmental groups, while ignoring the extensive scientific evidence and stakeholder voices that contradict their narrative. The piece amplifies talking points that have been challenged by federal agencies, independent scientists, and frontline workers in the industry, while repeating several inaccurate claims about the menhaden fishery. The Science Is Clear: Menhaden Are Not Overfished The article asserts that industrial fishing is to blame for a decline in menhaden abundance in the Bay, while omitting the overwhelming scientific consensus to the contrary. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), the agency that manages menhaden for East Coast states, has repeatedly found the stock to be healthy and sustainably managed. According to the Commission's most recent stock assessment, released in 2022, menhaden are not overfished, and overfishing is not occurring. The fishery operates under Ecological Reference Points, an ecosystem-based management approach that accounts for the needs of predators like striped bass, bluefish, and weakfish. In fact, less than 0.5% of menhaden born each year are harvested. The menhaden fishery is also certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), the gold standard for international third-party environmental certification. USGS and VIMS Question Osprey Diet Claims The article relies on preliminary findings from a 2024 survey by the Center for Conservation Biology, suggesting menhaden scarcity is causing osprey chick reproduction failure in parts of the Chesapeake Bay. However, it does not mention a recent U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) letter to the House Natural Resources Committee, which responded to congressional questions about the osprey claims. In its letter, the USGS found no biologically significant change in the proportion of menhaden in osprey diets from 2006 to 2021. Menhaden made up a slightly higher portion of the diet in 2021, and any apparent changes were not statistically significant. The letter explained that many other factors - including adverse weather, nesting density, predator interactions, and prey accessibility - can impact osprey chick survival. It emphasized that striped bass is a key prey species for ospreys in parts of the Bay; striped bass is currently overfished, primarily due to recreational fishing mortality. Scientists with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) also questioned the purported menhaden-osprey connection in a 2024 peer-reviewed response. VIMS noted that a previous 2023 study on osprey did not establish a causal relationship between menhaden availability and osprey reproduction. Ocean Harvesters Is a U.S. Company with American Crews The article claims the fishery is dominated by a 'Canadian-owned company,' which is wrong. While Omega Protein is part of the international Cooke, Inc. family of companies, the vessels that harvest menhaden are owned and operated by Ocean Harvesters - a U.S.-based, independently owned company with American-flagged vessels and unionized American crews. In 2024, the U.S. Maritime Administration confirmed the company is in full compliance with the American Fisheries Act, which regulates participation by foreign companies in U.S. fisheries. Omega Protein, based in Reedville, Virginia, processes the fish caught by Ocean Harvesters under a service agreement between the companies. These jobs support rural communities and represent one of the largest unionized workforces in the region. On Transparency and Collaboration The article repeats the false claim that Omega Protein refuses to share data with scientists, citing concerns raised by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Dr. Allison Colden. This suggestion is simply not true. Confidential landings data from the menhaden reduction fishery is routinely provided to NOAA, the ASMFC, and state regulators-including the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. This data is not casually handed out to competitors or to researchers affiliated with advocacy groups seeking to undermine the fishery; rather, it is shared with official scientific and regulatory bodies responsible for stock assessments and management decisions. This data is not publicly distributed because it is protected under federal confidentiality laws, just like commercial data from all fisheries. However, it is actively used in the development of all stock assessments, including the Ecological Reference Points that Dr. Colden herself has publicly supported. The entire scientific understanding of the health of the menhaden stock depends on this data. To suggest otherwise is either a misunderstanding of fisheries science or a willful attempt to mislead the public. In fact, the fishery has supported and participated in more than 15 research projects in collaboration with institutions such as VIMS and NOAA and contributed to the design of the Bay-specific study referenced in the article. Industry critics can't have it both ways-celebrating models built on this data while claiming the data isn't provided. Reasonable Precautions Are Already in Place The article accurately notes the Chesapeake Bay harvest cap has been cut repeatedly, from 109,020 metric tons in 2006 to 51,000 metric tons today - a reduction of more than 50%. That cap remains in place today as a precautionary safeguard, not in response to any scientifically derived or observed population decrease necessitating harvest cuts. Local Economic and Social Contributions In addition to its ecological and regulatory strengths, the menhaden fishery is a major driver of the local economy in Northumberland County, Virginia. The fishery, primarily operated by Omega Protein and its harvesting partner Ocean Harvesters, generates over $100 million in annual economic activity. If operations ceased, the region would face the loss of over 500 direct and indirect jobs, with Northumberland County bearing the brunt of this impact. The industry directly employs over 260 individuals and provides an annual payroll and benefits package of approximately $23 million. Fishery workers are represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 400, which ensures strong collective bargaining rights, fair wages, and safe working conditions. This makes the menhaden fishery one of the largest union-represented private-sector employers in the region. Importantly, the fishery is one of Northumberland County's largest minority employers, providing stable, long-term jobs to a historically underrepresented workforce. The industry's community impact extends to local vendors and businesses supported by its operations. A Note on Media Integrity It's worth noting that Lisa Lewis's article ends with a telling admission: 'Special thanks to Valerie Keefer, Maryland communications & media relations manager, CBF, and Kenny Fletcher, director of communications and media relations, CBF.' This acknowledgment makes clear that the story was heavily influenced-if not directly shaped-by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's communications team. It raises serious questions about the objectivity of the piece, which lacks input from fisheries scientists, union workers, and others with direct knowledge of the fishery. For readers seeking a balanced view of the Chesapeake Bay's most regulated and scrutinized fishery, this article falls short. One modest but important positive is that Dr. Bryan Watts, quoted throughout the article, acknowledges uncertainty about the cause of reproductive issues in ospreys. This marks a notable shift from his previous public statements, which more definitively attributed the issue to the menhaden fishery. Dr. Watts now says, 'We do not know why menhaden have become less available to ospreys,' reflecting a more nuanced and scientifically appropriate stance given the complex web of factors at play. The menhaden fishery is highly regulated, science-based, and a vital part of the Bay's economy. The complex ecology of ospreys, striped bass, and menhaden deserves continued research - and that research should be conducted in good faith, not through premature conclusions or special interest narratives. About the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition (MFC) is a collective of menhaden fishermen, related businesses, and supporting industries. Comprised of businesses along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition conducts media and public outreach on behalf of the menhaden industry to ensure that members of the public, media, and government are informed of important issues, events, and facts about the fishery. Media Contact: Menhaden Fisheries Coalition (202) 595-1212 SOURCE: Menhaden Fisheries Coalition press release
