WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESS Newswire / May 28, 2025 / The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) promotes several inaccuracies and omits key scientific and regulatory findings in its description of the recent meeting of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's (ASMFC) Menhaden Management Board ("Menhaden Management Board to Continue Exploring Chesapeake Bay Management Changes"). These claims are inconsistent with peer-reviewed science, the most recent ASMFC stock assessments and management decisions, and the reality of fishery operations.
TRCP's scare tactics about alleged data secrecy, ecological collapse, and foreign ownership distort the conversation. Public and regulatory decisions should be based on rigorous science and verified data, not speculation or advocacy-driven messaging.
Here's a breakdown of the inaccuracies and misleading claims:
Misrepresentation of Foreign Ownership
False Claim: "Foreign-owned Omega Protein removes millions of pounds of menhaden annually from Bay waters."
Fact: Omega Protein, a subsidiary of Cooke Inc., produces highly refined specialty oils and protein products that improve the nutritional integrity of foods, dietary supplements, and animal feeds. It does not operate vessels that harvest menhaden. Those vessels are owned and operated by Ocean Harvesters, an independent, U.S.-based company employing American crews under union contracts. Both companies have deep roots in Virginia, dating back 147 years. Both Ocean Harvesters and Omega Protein have their corporate headquarters in Reedville, Virginia and over 98 percent of their combined employees are from Virginia. Ocean Harvesters' fishermen are members of United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 400.
No Evidence of Menhaden Depletion or "Outsized Impact" of the Fishery
False Claim: "The public has been sounding the alarm about the outsized impacts of the menhaden reduction fishery."
Fact: The ASMFC, which manages the fishery, has consistently found that Atlantic menhaden are not overfished, and overfishing is not occurring. The Commission most recently made this determination in its 2022 stock assessment, the most up-to-date picture of the health of menhaden fishery available. Since 2019, the fishery has been certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
In 2020, the Atlantic menhaden became the first fishery on the east coast to shift to an ecosystem management approach. Whit Fosburgh, then president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership stated, "This landmark decision represents a new era in fisheries management…This decision will spur healthier menhaden and gamefish populations while supporting the recreational fishing economy along the eastern seaboard."
Menhaden harvests in the Chesapeake Bay are precautionarily capped and have been cut from 109,020 to 51,000 metric tons since 2006.
Osprey Breeding Claims Misrepresented
False Claim: "A lack of food availability…most importantly, nutrient-dense menhaden…was causing widespread osprey nest failure…"
Fact: This narrative has been publicly called into question by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in a 2025 letter to Congress. The USGS stated that the scientific study most frequently cited to justify the menhaden-osprey link did not demonstrate a biologically significant change in osprey diet composition and emphasized that striped bass, a currently overfished species due to recreational fishing, are also a critical osprey prey species. The letter also noted that multiple ecological stressors are likely affecting osprey reproduction, including prey access, parental condition, brood size, and weather.
Misleading on the Availability of Menhaden Data
False Claim: "The fishery operates…with no data on the amount of menhaden present…"
Fact: This is blatantly false. The menhaden reduction fishery's confidential landings data has been provided to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), ASMFC, and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and is central to all stock assessments, including those using Ecological Reference Points (ERPs). NOAA has received this data for close to 70 years. While not released publicly to prevent competitive harm, this data is a backbone of modern fishery management.
Economic Impact Omitted
Omission: TRCP omits that the fishery is a major employer and economic driver in Virginia's rural Northern Neck region. It supports, either directly or indirectly, over 500 jobs, many of which are held by minority and union workers, and generates over $100 million in annual economic activity in the Northern Neck Region, where similarly sized economic alternatives are limited.
Misleading on Industry's Support of Science
False Claim: "The industry refuses to support science…"
Fact: The industry has participated in over 15 scientific research collaborations with institutions including the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and NOAA and even contributed to the design of the Bay-specific study that TRCP advocates for. While concerns were raised about using unproven methods, the industry offered to support a pilot study to validate new technology, a compromise that was not moved forward by the state legislature.
Localized Depletion Assertions Are Unproven
False Claim: "Harvest of entire schools in one area could remove potential food source…"
Fact: VIMS scientists and ASMFC commissioners have repeatedly stated that claims of localized depletion are speculative and unsupported. Menhaden are a migratory species with no evidence of a distinct Chesapeake Bay stock.
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
www.menhaden.org
SOURCE: Menhaden Fisheries Coalition
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/food-and-beverage-products/trcp-continues-to-mislead-on-menhaden-facts-contradict-claims-about-ches-1032902
