Baltimore, MD, October 2, 2026 — A bipartisan contingent of 29 Maryland legislators has formally requested enhanced regulations for the harvesting of Atlantic menhaden within the Chesapeake Bay. The group is urging fishery managers to cap the amount of menhaden harvested from the Bay at 13.6% of the total coastwide catch.

This call for stricter oversight stems from significant concerns regarding the apparent decline in menhaden populations. Legislators and environmental advocates point to the potential cascading effects of this decline on the broader Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. Atlantic menhaden, a vital forage fish, plays a critical role in the marine food web.

The proposed regulatory changes are intended to protect species that rely on menhaden as a food source, including iconic Bay inhabitants like osprey and commercially important fish such as striped bass. Additionally, the health of local bait fisheries, which depend on menhaden availability, is cited as another key reason for the proposed limitations.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is currently in the process of reviewing these proposed modifications to the Atlantic menhaden fishery management plan. The commission’s review will consider the ecological impacts and economic considerations related to menhaden populations and harvesting quotas.

The specific details regarding the current status of menhaden populations, the exact outcomes of past fisheries management efforts, or the timeline for the ASMFC’s review process were not explicitly provided. The names of the specific legislators leading this advocacy effort were also not detailed in the summary.

The legislators’ advocacy highlights ongoing debates within the region about balancing commercial fishing interests with the ecological health and sustainability of the Chesapeake Bay’s natural resources.


Story summarized from the original created by Christine Condon on marylandmatters.org, see more information here.

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