Menhaden play a key ecological role in the Bay because they are food for top predators such as striped bass and have a great ability to filter the water. The menhaden fishery is also one of the most productive on the Atlantic Coast, providing fish meal, fish oil and bait.
Menhaden that inhabit the Chesapeake Bay are part of a coastal Atlantic stock, and while populations along the Atlantic Coast are healthy, some scientists are worried about low abundance in the Chesapeake.
Learn more about menhaden, menhaden harvest and menhaden management.
There is no goal for this indicator because there is no estimate of the menhaden population in the Chesapeake Bay. At this time, it is not technically possible to set specific targets or goals.
Long-term trend (1959-2008)
Menhaden populations along the Atlantic Coast are healthy, but some scientists are concerned about low abundance in Chesapeake Bay. The number of juvenile menhaden in Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay are significantly lower than numbers present in the mid-1970s through the mid-1980s, and have remained at fairly stable, but low, levels for the last 15 years.
Between 1959 and 2008, the proportion of positive haul (PPH) decreased from 24 to 18. The long-term trend has been inconsistent.
- The PPH has ranged from 6 PPH to 67 PPH from 1959 through 2008, with an average level of 31 PPH.
- The periods from 1959-1970 and from 1992-present have shown similar levels, where reported values were below 30 PPH.
- The time between 1971 and 1991 showed a marked jump in PPH.
Short-term trend (10-year trend)
The 10-year trend between 1999 and 2008 is a downward trend (from 21 PPH to 18 PPH).
Change from previous year (2007-2008)
Decreased from 22 PPH to 18 PPH
Menhaden Management
The menhaden stock assessment concluded that the stock is not overfished relative to biological reference points that are set to ensure its sustainability. However, scientists are concerned that Atlantic menhaden abundance in Chesapeake Bay may be declining, at least relative to the ecological demand for menhaden as a forage fish and filter feeder.
In 2006, Virginia placed a cap on the amount of menhaden that can be harvested annually from the Bay by the commercial fishing industry. Maryland currently prohibits the commercial industry from harvesting menhaden from Maryland waters.
Since menhaden are an important forage species in the Bay food web, a number of studies are underway to assess their status in the Bay.
Menhaden Population Trends
Atlantic menhaden stocks were drastically reduced in the 1960s, leading to the closure of many reduction factories. As population size decreased, the age structure also changed. Fish older than age 3 were scarce or non-existent in many areas along the Atlantic coast.
The population began to recover in the early 1970s, and catches continued to improve into the early 1980s.
Jacqueline Johnson at 800-968-7229 ext. 729