A Small Atlantic fish is causing a serious rift between the fishing industry and environmental groups
If you use fish oil in the United States, chances are you’re consuming Menhaden. These small silvery fish are native to the Atlantic and in Chesapeake Bay, they’re big business.
Commercial fisheries in the region use hundreds of thousands of Menhaden annually to produce fishmeal and omega-3 rich fish oil. From supplements to pet food, you can find these products in stores around the United States and abroad.
Photo by Maurice Garlet on Unsplash
However, in the last few months, challenges to the industry have erupted into a heated debate over the fishery’s impacts on the environment and local small businesses.
Challenges to the Industry
Menhaden are small filter feeders that swim in tightly packed schools. For the local ecosystem, they are a nutritious source of food for birds of prey and large predatory fish. These fish support the local sportfishing industry.
Recently, sportfishers and environmentalists have teamed up, asking the state of Virginia to ban Menhaden fishing in the Chesapeake Bay. They claim that overfishing is depleting the local Menhaden numbers, which is threatening the bay’s ecosystem and the animals that thrive in it.
Photo by Colin Lloyd on Unsplash
Several companies fish for Menhaden in the bay’s large commercial fishing industry. They use wide nets to scoop up clusters of tiny fish and bring them to processing facilities for fishmeal and fish oil production.
Industry officials claim that banning Menhaden fishing would affect hundreds of local jobs. They also claim that there’s not enough data backing the claims that their industries are hurting the local Menhaden population.
The Menhaden’s Future
In recent years, there’s been a push for more research into the Menhaden population’s health. Most recently, the House of Delegates of Virginia moved a proposed study to 2025, a bill opposed by the commercial Menhaden industry.
Atlantic Menhaden have seen population crashes throughout the 20th century. Since new regulations and fishing limits were imposed, their population has bounced back significantly.
Still, the fight against overfishing continues. Major fish population studies will cost millions of dollars and the legislative pushback is making opposition groups look for new ways to challenge the industry.