It’s Time to Strengthen Chesapeake Bay Menhaden Protections

This November, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) has an opportunity to strengthen Atlantic menhaden management in the Chesapeake Bay.

Draft Addendum II includes options to reduce the Chesapeake Bay Reduction Fishery Cap, distribute harvest across the fishing season and regularly revisit the cap as new science becomes available.

For the sportfishing industry and recreational anglers up and down the East Coast, maintaining abundant menhaden is both a conservation and economic priority. Menhaden provide critical forage for striped bass, bluefish, red drum, cobia and other critically important sportfish, while also serving as one of the Atlantic Coast’s most important recreational baits.

A new Southwick Associates study underscores that value. In 2025, anglers used menhaden on an estimated 13.9 million fishing days, generating approximately $804 million in spending and supporting more than 7,200 jobs. Those fishing days included 6.3 million in the Mid-Atlantic, 5.1 million in the South Atlantic and 2.5 million in New England.

ASA supports the following actions in Draft Addendum II:

• Link the Bay Cap to the coastwide TAC. Options C1e and C2a would set the Bay Cap at approximately 13.6% of the coastwide TAC while maintaining the existing 51,000-metric-ton upper limit. At the current TAC, this would reduce the Chesapeake Bay Cap by approximately 50%, to 25,500 metric tons, and ensure Bay harvest responds to future coastwide management decisions.
• Spread harvest throughout the season. Option B2 would establish 25% / 25% / 50% quota periods, reducing the potential for concentrated harvest when forage needs may be particularly important.
• Make quota periods meaningful. Option B would require early-period overages to be deducted from the following period while allowing unused quota to roll forward, providing flexibility without undermining the seasonal limits.
• Revisit the Bay Cap every three years. Regular review would allow managers to incorporate new Chesapeake Bay-specific science and adjust management as our understanding of menhaden and predator needs improves.

ASA also supports setting the 2027–2028 coastwide TAC at a level with a 50% or less probability of exceeding the Ecological Reference Point fishing mortality target. Coastwide and Chesapeake Bay management should work together to maintain menhaden’s important role in the ecosystem.

With $804 million in annual angler spending, more than 7,200 jobs, and 13.9 million fishing days involving menhaden, recreational anglers and the businesses that support them have a significant stake in these decisions.

The public comment period is open through Oct. 9. Tell ASMFC to support science-based Chesapeake Bay menhaden management that recognizes the importance of this resource to healthy fisheries and the recreational fishing economy. Click the link below to take action today today.

TAKE ACTION

In addition to submitting written comments through the link above, sportfishing businesses and anglers may submit comments in-person or virtually at any one of the following public hearings: