Recreational fishing leaders call on Trump for stricter regulations on forage fishing

Eliza Noe, The Virginian-Pilot on Aug 6, 2025

Published in Outdoors

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NORFOLK, Va. — Recreational fishing industry leaders are calling on President Trump to limit industrial fishing of forage fish, such as menhaden.

Forage fish, also called bait fish, serve as food for other species. In recent years, oversight of the menhaden reduction fishery in Virginia has been debated through regulation requests and ongoing court cases that sought to reduce the catch amounts. Industry fisheries at the center of the conversation, such as Reedville-based Omega Protein, have long denied that their operations create a lack of fish.

Steve Atkinson, chairman of the Virginia Saltwater Sportfishing Association, said Virginia coasts get “hammered” by the overfishing. Currently, menhaden are not classified as “overfished,” but Atkinson said there has never been an assessment of the impacts of an industrial fishery using purse seine nets in the shallow waters of the Chesapeake Bay.

“In effect, (menhaden) are the canary in the coal mine,” Atkinson said. “So at this point, we’ve had enough. It is time for strong executive action to put America first by protecting these important forage fish. Leave them in the water where they can fulfill their ecological role and protect Virginia’s billion-dollar recreational fishing economy.”

In September, the association sent a letter to all members of the Virginia General Assembly, urging legislation that would fund research into menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay, but each time, progress on passing those bills has stalled. Atkinson said one hurdle is that many legislators may not understand the importance of menhaden and other forage fish, especially if they don’t live or recreate in coastal areas of the state.

“We’ve been trying to get a number of things done to improve the management of this fishery,” he said. “Part of the problem is we have significant political donations to key people in our legislature, including our governor. We have, unfortunately, very good industry lobbyists.”

Trump posted a video on the social media site Truth Social about the issue, so Atkinson and other anglers said they hope the president signs an executive order to limit industrial fishing of forage fish in federal waters. Recreational fishers associations also point to other species as victims of potential impacts of menhaden being less available. Researchers released a report earlier this summer about the status of ospreys, a predatory bird that nests in coastal Virginia. According to research from William & Mary, a lack of food could be one of the reasons that osprey nests are failing in coastal Virginia.

“If everyone would have a piece of the pie and we could all exist, then there would be a little bit more harmony,” said Vinnie Calabro, owner of Karen Ann Charters and Commercial Striped Bass Fisherman. “This treasured resource, these menhaden fish, wouldn’t be so exploited.

“Our fisheries — the tuna fishery, the striped bass fishery, the birds — they’re very dependent upon this, this very small fish that is really overlooked.”