Dear Friend of the Bay,

In a move that could undermine the health of "the most important fish in the sea," Omega Protein's Atlantic menhaden reduction fishery was recommended for a leading seafood sustainability certification by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) earlier this month.

The MSC certification, the world's most recognized benchmark for sustainability, is awarded to fisheries that are judged to be well-managed and sustainable based on a host of scientific and management criteria. This is far from an accurate description of Omega's menhaden reduction fishery. Recent surveys reveal a decade-long decline of menhaden in the Bay, causing concern as the small, oily fish is a crucial link in the Chesapeake food chain.

With the release of the sustainability recommendation comes a 40-day public comment period to gather additional information before the certification can be put in place. Now is the moment to raise your voice for this critical fish! Take action—before the January 14 deadline—and urge MSC to reject the certification of Omega's menhaden reduction fishery as sustainable until it comes into compliance with the fishery management plan adopted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC)!

	A commercial fishing boat pulls up a net chock-full of menhaden. The lack of young menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay is a major concern given their crucial role in the Bay's ecosystem. Photo by John Surrick/CBF Staff.
	. TAKE ACTION

Menhaden are a key food for fish like striped bass and bluefish, as well as whales, dolphins, and birds. A strong menhaden population will benefit everybody, from fish and birds, to watermen, anglers, and all of us who love Chesapeake seafood.

Omega Protein, which catches more than 70 percent of the Atlantic Coast menhaden harvest, is seeking sustainability certification even though just this past year it successfully fought regulations proposed by ASMFC (which manages coastwide fisheries) that would have helped ensure a healthy menhaden population in the Chesapeake Bay. This has put Omega's industrial menhaden fishery in Virginia on the path to noncompliance.

Menhaden play a critical role in the Chesapeake food chain, and there have long been unresolved concerns about Omega's industrial-scale harvest of them concentrated in the Bay and nearby coastal areas. These concerns must be addressed, and Virginia must come into compliance with ASMFC's recommended menhaden harvest cap in the Chesapeake Bay before MSC approval of this fishery.

The menhaden fishery becoming MSC certified not only puts MSC standards at risk of becoming meaningless, it could allow for the continued exploitation of a fishery that can ill afford it. Join us in urging MSC—before the public comment period closes on January 14—to reject Omega's menhaden certification until important ecological issues in the Chesapeake Bay are resolved.

With you by our side, we will continue fighting tirelessly for better management of this important fish and the entire ecosystem that depends on it.

For the Bay,


Chris Moore
Senior Regional Ecosystem Scientist
Chesapeake Bay Foundation