According to the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), this November the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) has an opportunity to strengthen Atlantic menhaden management in the Chesapeake Bay.
“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,” said ASA Atlantic Policy Director Mike Waine, explaining how ASMFC’s Draft Addendum II includes options to reduce the Chesapeake Bay Reduction Fishery Cap, distribute harvest across the fishing season, while also regularly revisiting the cap as new science becomes available.
In a September 8 bulletin, Waine pointed out a Southwick Associates study that showed how anglers used menhaden on an estimated 13.9 million fishing days, generating approximately $804 million in spending and supporting more than 7,200 jobs in 2025 alone. “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,” Waine added in the post.
In response to the ASMFC Draft Addendum II discussion and the upcoming October 9th deadline for public comment, Waine and the ASA offered support for the following actions contained within 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,” Waine noted in the ASA bulletin, adding “Coastwide and Chesapeake Bay management should work together to maintain menhaden’s important role in the ecosystem.”
Learn more about ASA at asafishing.org.
