The Mighty Menhaden

By John Reedy, JRA High School Intern

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At a glance, it isn’t obvious that this fish is one of the most important animals in the sea.  Despite its small structure and ordinary features, the Atlantic menhaden plays an extremely important role in sustaining their ecosystem.  This little fish is a filter feeder, and an efficient one at that.  An adult menhaden can filter up to four gallons of water in a minute!  These fish keep the ocean water clean and clear.  The Atlantic menhaden also happens to be an extremely important food source for many other aquatic animals.  Therefore, the ecosystem’s stability is directly linked to the menhaden. 

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Unfortunately, the Atlantic menhaden is in trouble.  Over the past three decades, the menhaden has been the victim of extreme overfishing.  This has caused large declines in population size and has put the stability of an entire ecosystem in jeopardy.  The fish population is down to approximately 10% of its original, non-commercially fished size.  A reduction so large could have huge detrimental impacts on the Chesapeake Bay’s ecosystem.  In order to save the population and promote stability in the ecosystem, limitations must be set on menhaden fishing.

The Virginia General Assembly has the power to help the Atlantic menhaden population.  It is crucial that our elected officials approve the total allowable catch and a 20% reduction in the harvest cap.  Otherwise, the menhaden population will drop to even lower levels, and other species are likely to suffer.  In order to prevent this tragedy in the Bay, please contact your legislator and tell them that you support House Bill 1840 today.