2024 Forage Fish Conservation Wrap-Up

December 9, 2024

A year-end update on our top four successes, and our 2025 forecast for menhaden and herring conservation

As 2024 wraps up, we’re excited to share this year’s key achievements in forage fish conservation made by TRCP, our partners, and dedicated members along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Forage fish like menhaden and herring are small but vital—they play a critical role in marine food webs and feed popular sportfish such as striped bass, redfish, bluefish, and speckled trout. There’s still a lot to accomplish in 2025 to protect these important species, but with your continued support, we’re ready to dive into the work ahead.

Our Top Four Forage Fish Successes of 2024

1. We successfully advocated for a half-mile buffer zone for industrial menhaden fishing in Louisiana

Our efforts with Coastal Conservation Association Louisiana led to a substantial decrease in fish spills, demonstrating clear ecological benefits. In 2024, the number of Gulf menhaden (or “pogies”) spilled due to industrial fishery operations dropped to approximately 350,000 – or only 26 percent of the annual average of 1.3 million fish recorded between 2013 and 2023. This represents a reduction of nearly 1 million fewer dead fish compared to previous seasons. The buffer was introduced in response to widespread concerns over wasteful fish spills, fouled beaches, and the loss of thousands of redfish caught as bycatch. Historically, these spills were frequent due to net tears occurring when fishing vessels operated in shallow waters near shore, damaging both marine habitats and spawning grounds. The regulation, enacted in April 2024, prohibits pogy boats from fishing within a half-mile of Louisiana’s coast, with extensions up to 3 miles in certain areas. This measure aims to protect sensitive nearshore ecosystems, which serve as vital habitats for forage species like menhaden and sportfish such as redfish and speckled trout. Public records from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries indicate this year’s spill numbers were the second-lowest since data collection began in 2013, with only 2013 showing fewer losses.

2. We supported the establishment of a work group focused on the Chesapeake Bay menhaden fishery

In August, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Menhaden Management Board voted to establish a work group to explore precautionary management measures for the Chesapeake Bay menhaden fishery, with the goal of protecting predator species like ospreys and striped bass. Atlantic menhaden are crucial to the Bay’s ecosystem, serving as a primary food source for a variety of marine animals, including ospreys, which have struggled with chick-rearing success due to a lack of menhaden for food. The workgroup will focus on creating precautionary measures – such as time and area closures – during critical feeding periods for predators, addressing gaps in current management that do not explicitly consider the dietary needs of ospreys. The goal is to ensure the sustainability of the menhaden population and protect the health of the Bay’s predators while awaiting more detailed stock assessments in 2025.

Click here to demand better science for better management of Chesapeake Bay menhaden

3. Our voices were heard during scoping for Amendment 10 to the Atlantic Herring Management Plan

Public scoping occurred this spring at the New England Fishery Management Council. The ongoing decline of the Atlantic herring stock has sparked support for Amendment 10 to the Atlantic Herring Management Plan, aimed at addressing overfishing, minimizing conflicts with recreational anglers, and improving conservation efforts. Public input during scoping overwhelmingly supported stricter management measures, such as time and area closures and gear restrictions to protect herring and related species like river herring and shad, including nearly 900 comments in support of further management actions to defend herring and supported economies. At its June 2024 meeting, the NEFMC published an updated Atlantic herring stock assessment which showed that the herring stock is not successfully rebuilding and continues to be in recruitment failure. Based on these results, the Council recommended that the National Marine Fisheries Service, which is responsible for setting annual catch limits, take immediate action to decrease the 2025 catch by 86 percent, effectively closing the fishery to all but small-scale bait fisheries. This lowered quota will essentially prevent the industrial midwater trawl fleet from operating in 2025, and while it is a severe (albeit short-term) loss for New England fishermen who rely on herring for bait, this move will allow the herring stock to begin recovering, while also decreasing the amount of river herring and shad that are caught as bycatch.

4. We successfully advocated for the reintroduction of the bipartisan Forage Fish Conservation Act

The act was reintroduced in the U.S. House this September by Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Brian Mast (R-FL). The FFCA seeks to improve the management and conservation of federally managed forage species like Atlantic herring and mackerel. These species are crucial to the marine food web, supporting predators such as humpback whales, bluefin tuna, and striped bass. The legislation aims to amend the Magnuson-Stevens Act by requiring fishery managers to evaluate the ecological importance of forage fish, account for predator needs, and assess the impacts of new commercial fisheries before opening them. The act also emphasizes the need for science-based conservation measures to prevent overfishing and protect the health of marine ecosystems. As forage fish populations have declined due to overfishing and habitat loss – especially in species like river herring and shad – this legislation will help sustain both the environment and the $138 billion recreational fishing economy, which supports nearly 700,000 jobs nationwide.

Our Forage Fish Conservation Forecast for 2025

Gulf Menhaden

As the Gulf menhaden fishery continues to be shaped by evolving regulations, the TRCP is working toward a transition to ecosystem-based fisheries management, which will involve comprehensive scientific studies. In 2022, with the support of TRCP and partners, the Louisiana Legislature allocated $1 million to fund a bycatch study aimed at understanding the effects of Gulf menhaden harvest. The study aims to explore seasonal bycatch patterns, focusing on how predator (e.g., redfish) interactions with menhaden schools may influence bycatch during critical breeding seasons. The findings, which are expected to be published in early 2025, will provide valuable insights into how industrial fishing affects predator diets, food availability, and mortality, particularly during key times like redfish breeding season in the fall. These results will be instrumental in guiding our efforts in 2025.

Atlantic Menhaden

Next fall, the latest stock assessment updates for Atlantic menhaden will be published. The ASMFC’s Menhaden Management Board will consider updates to the ecological reference points (ERPs), based on the results of two key assessments: a single-species stock assessment, which evaluates the overall health of the menhaden stock, and an ERP stock assessment, which examines how menhaden abundance impacts predator species, particularly striped bass. The TRCP and its partners are pushing for the inclusion of essential data in these assessments, such as natural mortality rates for menhaden, updated predator diet information (especially regarding ospreys in the Chesapeake Bay), and detailed geographic and seasonal data. The goal is to ensure that ERP targets, coastwide quotas, and state allocations are set to maintain adequate menhaden populations to support predator diets. The TRCP will also continue to support the work of the Chesapeake Bay Menhaden Work Group to encourage a balanced management framework that minimizes the localized impacts of menhaden harvest, ultimately contributing to the recovery and sustainability of both menhaden populations and the predators that rely on them.

Atlantic Herring

Work to advocate for the implementation of Amendment 10 to the Atlantic herring fishery will continue throughout next year, with final completion of the amendment expected by the NEFMC in 2026. While the herring fishery’s quota will be significantly reduced over the next few fishing seasons, TRCP and partner efforts to address location and area restrictions and better management of Atlantic herring to minimize user conflicts, contribute to optimum yield, support rebuilding of the herring resource, and develop protections for river herring and shad caught incidentally by the midwater trawl fleet will serve to augment the council’s quota decreases and support the stock rebuilding plan. To achieve optimum yield and a truly sustainable fishery for decades to come, spatial protections such as those defined by Amendment 10 will be critical for New England’s forage base and the predators that feed on them.

Learn More About Forage Fish

Learn more about how forage fish drive sportfishing and underpin healthy marine ecosystems, and stay tuned for more updates about our forage fish conservation efforts in the coming year. As always, feel free to reach out to our team at any time.

Banner image courtesy Joanna Steidle; image of osprey with menhaden courtesy Chesapeake Bay Program; herring image courtesy 16:9Clue

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by: Ryan Lockwood

posted in: Forage Fish

November 20, 2024

In the Arena: Capt. Chris Dollar

TRCP’s “In the Arena” series highlights the individual voices of hunters and anglers who, as Theodore Roosevelt so famously said, strive valiantly in the worthy cause of conservation.

Chris Dollar

Hometown: Rappahannock River, VA
Occupation: Principal, CD Outdoors’ Communications; writer/editor/educator, conservationist, fishing guide, and owner/operator of TackleCove.com – a light tackle, fly fishing, and kayak outfitter.
Conservation credentials: Chesapeake Region Conservation Consultant and member of Government Relations Committee for Coastal Conservation Association; Conservation Director for Virginia Saltwater Sportfishing Association.

An all-purpose outdoors professional since 1994, think of Capt. “C” Dollar as the Swiss Army knife of the Chesapeake Bay’s sporting and conservation realm. He has three decades’ experience as an outdoors professional who has held a fishing guide license and a U.S. Coast Guard Master’s License since the 1990s. He is also an avid waterfowl hunter and amateur birder. He works with several conservation organizations and coalitions – including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Coastal Conservation Association, and TRCP. Originally formed in 1999, his CD Outdoors brand has morphed into a conservation communications consultancy focused on Bay fishery and habitat issues. (Dollar notes that CD Outdoors’ logo is of an osprey feeding menhaden to its chicks, taken from a photograph he took in the early 2000s, and in the past two years there are growing concerns that there may not be enough menhaden to feed some osprey chicks on some lower Bay tributaries due to industrial menhaden fishing.)

His columns cover important issues such as the impacts of the industrial-scale menhaden reduction fishery on recreational angling and the Bay’s habitat, wildlife, and water quality. Over the years, his columns have regularly appeared in the Baltimore Sun, Chesapeake Bay Magazine, PropTalk, and the Capital Gazette, the latter of which continues to run his weekly conservation column. He also pens a bi-weekly blog on TackleCove.com.

Here is his story.

Growing up on Chesapeake Bay, fishing and crabbing was just something we did as kids. It wasn’t until right after college that I took fishing more seriously, especially with regards to related conservation efforts, which are a necessary part of any outdoorsperson’s tool kit. My grandfather was a hunter, but he passed before I got a chance to know him, so I did not grow up in a hunting household. In 1996, my college lacrosse teammate and his father took me under their wing and introduced me to waterfowl hunting when I was in my mid-20s. I’ve been hooked ever since.

Like most folks who spend a lot of time out-of-doors, I have memorable adventures. One that stands out was when we were hunting the grass flats and marshes of Pocomoke Sound for wigeon, pintails, and gadwall. We’d had a very good hunt, but by midday the wind really picked up and it switched around and came at us from the northeast. The boat ramp was about 9 miles away and the cut-through in the marsh to the ramp was blown out – there was no water in it. So, we had to go into the teeth of the blow via Tangier Sound.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Bay, Tangier Sound is pretty big water with stretches of deep water and shoals. In a 20-foot open boat loaded with decoys, two grown men, and a Chesapeake Bay retriever, with wind chill temps close to the single digits, well, that was a bit of a white-knuckler.

Though I love hunting and angling on the Bay, I hope to someday go fishing for sea-run fish in Patagonia. It seems so wild and expansive. On the hunting side, it would be great to flush upland birds and call in waterfowl somewhere wild and remote, like the upper Midwest or remote Canada. What I’d really like to do, however, is time travel back to when canvasbacks blackened the Chesapeake skies and rafted together in thousands on the Susquehanna Flats.

Dramatic changes in the Bay have taken place over the past century. Once abundant fish and wildlife populations and vibrant habitats are diminished. Helping to protect and restore the Chesapeake is a huge reason why I am so involved in conservation, both for fisheries and birds. That said, we also need to understand that eating wild game and fish is important. That’s especially true for me, even if I’m not able to do it as much as I used to. Getting older ain’t for sissies.

“We need to value all forage fish – shads, river herrings, and menhaden – for what they mean to the entire ecosystem, and not just their dockside value.”

The top conservation priorities for the Chesapeake Bay include rebuilding habitat, conserving and protecting gamefish and forage fish (such as Atlantic menhaden and herring), and enhancing access to fisheries, especially for newcomers. Rebuilding the striper fishery, and maintaining the quality fisheries for red drum and cobia and other gamefish we have in the Bay, will not and cannot be done just through regulation of recreational or commercial fishing.

Rebuilding critical habitats – oyster reefs and seagrass beds – and improving water quality are also part of the solution, as are sensible and reasonable regulations for the large-scale industrialized reduction fishery for menhaden. Overall, we need to value all forage fish – shads, river herrings, and menhaden (bunker) – for what they mean to the entire ecosystem, and not just their dockside value. These are public resources, not commodities for a select few.

It is our moral obligation to not just protect and conserve what is left, but to enhance the natural capital remaining that we’ve been gifted. We are stewards of all waters, salt and fresh, and our marshes, woods, and mountains. Simple as that. None of it is ours. It belongs to the “now” as well as the future.

I have no understanding – or patience, frankly – of those who choose to recklessly use natural resources for short-term gains. It is anathema to me. It matters not if you’re a big-game hunter, a day hiker, or a casual angler or birder. America’s, and the world’s, wild places are inextricably linked to what it means to be human, and what it means to be alive. They belong to everyone.

All images credit Chris Dollar

by: Ryan Lockwood

posted in: Forage Fish

October 23, 2024

In The Arena: Capt. Paul Dixon

TRCP’s “In the Arena” series highlights the individual voices of hunters and anglers who, as Theodore Roosevelt so famously said, strive valiantly in the worthy cause of conservation.

Paul Dixon

Hometown: East Hampton, N.Y.
Occupation: Saltwater fly fishing guide who owns Dixon’s To The Point Charters, offering fly fishing for stripers and bluefish off Montauk, N.Y., and for bonefish, permit, and tarpon in the Florida Keys.
Conservation credentials: Dixon is a past board member and current Advisory Council member of the conservation nonprofit Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT) – a TRCP partner – and is responsible for helping to raise millions of dollars for marine conservation efforts. He has long been a vocal champion for striped bass conservation.

Captain Paul Dixon is nothing less than a star in the guiding space in Montauk, off the east end of Long Island, and in the Florida Keys. He essentially wrote the book on sight fishing for striped bass in the Northeastern U.S. and is the main character in author Peter Kaminsky’s celebrated 2002 book The Moon Pulled Up an Acre of Bass. Dixon has been featured on ESPN’s fishing shows Guide House: Montauk, The Walker’s Cay Chronicles and Spanish Fly; in the Millhouse Podcast; and in articles in The New York Times, Outdoor Life, The Miami Herald, New York (Magazine), Salt Water Sportsman, and Field and Stream. Dixon’s client list has included such celebrity anglers as Roger Waters (the bassist for Pink Floyd) and renowned Florida fisherman Flip Pallot. He’s Orvis-endorsed and named among the top 50 charter captains by Salt Water Sportsman. Perhaps most importantly, he’s used his considerable influence in angling circles to forward fish conservation efforts. In 2021 he was given the Izaak Walton Award from the American Museum of Fly Fishing, and in 2022, BTT bestowed him the Lefty Kreh Award for Lifetime Achievement in Conservation.

Here is his story.

Dixon poling as an angler releases a striper. Credit: The Anglers Lens

My mother put me on a dock with a dropline on Balboa Island in California when I was three years old. Almost every weekend I spent on a head boat in Southern California or in a duck blind.

My whole family was steeped in hunting and fishing. As a lieutenant in the Air Force, my father was stationed in Alaska. His job was to open up fishing camps for the officers stationed on the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line [of Cold War radar stations] in 1952. He opened up the first camps in the Brooks Range on the Nac Nac River. My grandfather was a member of the Catalina Island Tuna Club in the 1930s and had his own duck club in Palmdale, Calif. He fished with author Zane Grey and singer Bing Crosby. So I grew up with great stories of outdoor adventures and dreamed of creating my own.

When I graduated from high school I was offered a job at the Wild Rose Ranch on Henry’s Lake in Idaho. Upon arrival the old timers told me, “We don’t spin fish here, kid. We fly fish,” and so the passion began. I had no nearby rivers or lakes so I began fly fishing in saltwater. I moved east in the mid-80s with the dream of opening my own fly fishing business and began Dixon’s Sporting Life, a fly fishing store in East Hampton, N.Y. I bought a flats skiff and began chasing striped bass.

“My biggest concern currently is that striped bass, again, are being depleted from all the commercial and recreational overfishing of the last 20 years.”

I have so many great memories of outdoor adventures with my father and family, but the most recent memories with my own sons come to mind. Notably, my son Andrew’s first tarpon, after 30 minutes and 10 jumps, came off, and Andrew says, “Damn they’re strong. I’m sort of glad he came off.” Recently, my oldest son, Austen, came striper fishing with me, and he caught 10 fish by 8:30 a.m., all of them over 30 pounds — a truly biblical morning.

Dixon’s son, Austen, with a Long Island striped bass. Credit: Paul Dixon

I have fished in many wonderful places all over the world, but I have not yet fished in Alaska. After hearing throughout my young life of fishing in Alaska from my father, I have harbored the dream of going there myself, with my own sons, and now have planned a trip for August 2025.

Dixon releasing a tarpon in the Florida Keys. Credit: Paul Dixon

I got involved with conservation when I moved east and realized that my dream fish, the striped bass, had been fished out. By the time that I opened my store in the early ’90s, the striped bass came roaring back after a 10-year fishing moratorium, one of the greatest conservation success stories in America. In a short period of time, however, the regulations started changing and, slowly but surely, you could see the effects on the fishery. I started going to fishery hearings to voice my concern about the fate of stripers and have been fighting the battle ever since. My ongoing conservation efforts are a way of preserving the fishery that has brought so much pleasure and excitement to my life for so many decades.

Dixon holding stripers for clients. Credit: Paul Dixon

For a long time, the biggest conservation challenge in our area was the restoration of the menhaden, which were being decimated by the factory ships. To deal the problem, the ships were outlawed from fishing in New York’s state waters. The recovery of menhaden was quickly evident from the abundance of whales, sharks, bass, and dolphin that were now feeding on menhaden up and down the coast. My biggest concern currently is that striped bass, again, are being depleted from all the commercial and recreational overfishing of the last 20 years.

Dixon with a bonefish on the flats in the Keys. Credit: Paul Dixon

It’s imperative for those of us who really love to hunt and fish to become involved in the preservation of the natural world. When I was 15 years old, I went with my father on a long-range fishing trip in search of albacore, 100 miles offshore. Leaving the harbor, my father said, “I remember when I used to catch albacore right off that jetty.”

I never want to say to my kids, “I remember when,” with fishing and hunting.

by: Ryan Lockwood

posted in: Forage Fish

October 16, 2024

Louisiana No-Fishing Buffer May Be Preventing Fish Spills

Fully 1 million fewer pogies were spilled in 2024 season compared to the annual average, based on Department of Wildlife and Fisheries data

(BATON ROUGE, La.)—An analysis of more than a decade of fisheries data by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership indicates that recently created near-shore, no-fishing buffers in Louisiana may be reducing the number of pogies spilled from the industrial harvest of this ecologically valuable baitfish – to a mere quarter of the historical average.

Fish spill incidents have generated a significant amount of controversy in the state in recent years due to millions of wasted fish, fouled beaches, and thousands of redfish lost as bycatch, which resulted in regulatory changes enacted in the spring. The likelihood of net tears and spills, due to gear interactions with the seafloor, is higher in shallower waters near shore than when vessels work in deeper waters.

Millions of fewer pogies were spilled by the industrial fishery in 2024, after a buffer was enforced.

In February 2024, before the commercial pogy fishing season began on April 15, the state’s Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved a half-mile coastwide buffer prohibiting pogy boats from netting in near-shore Louisiana waters, with the buffer extended to 1 and 3 miles in some areas. The same Notice of Intent (NOI) that created the buffer also increased fish spill penalties. A major reason for the NOI was an attempt to reduce the number of fish spilled and spill incidents, in which pogy boat net tears and net abandonments have released an estimated 14.8 million dead pogies – officially known as Gulf menhaden – into state waters over the last decade alone. Other reasons included efforts to reduce bycatch of redfish and other important sportfish, reduce conflicts between commercial and recreational users, and protect sensitive bottom habitat.

To determine if the buffer may be working, TRCP examined publicly available records for fish spills in Louisiana kept by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, which are available from 2013 onwards. The state agency has records of all reported or otherwise validated spill events caused by the two industrial menhaden harvesters, Omega Protein and Daybrook Fisheries.

After the half-mile buffer was enacted, 2024 saw the second-lowest number of fish spilled since records were made available.

The results indicated that, on average, the number of pogies spilled per year from 2013 to 2023 was more than 1.3 million fish, and that there has been a significant upward trend in the number of fish spilled per year. However, after the half-mile buffer was enacted this year, 2024 saw the second-lowest number of fish spilled since records were made available, with only 2013 having fewer estimated losses. Of note is that the number of pogies landed was on par with the past 10 years, even with the buffer zones in place. Further, this year’s estimated number of fish spilled to date is only 350,000, or 26 percent of the annual average, and only 12 percent of the 2.8 million fish lost annually, when averaged over the last two seasons (2022 and 2023).

Dead menhaden from a fish kill event in Maryland. Credit: Steve Droter/Chesapeake Bay Program

“This data indicates that the efforts to move the industrial pogy boats into deeper waters to protect nearshore, shallow habitat is paying off,” said Chris Macaluso, director of the Center for Marine Fisheries for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “Few things anger and disgust anglers and beachgoers in Louisiana more than seeing rafts of dead pogies and other fish left by the menhaden reduction industry floating nearshore or washed up on beaches. This year, we have seen far fewer of these spills and anglers have also noted an increase in nearshore forage like pogies, mullet and other fish.”

Gulf menhaden are a critical food source for iconic Louisiana sportfish like redfish and speckled trout. Approximately 1 billion pounds of pogies are harvested by the industrial Gulf of Mexico menhaden fishery each year, mainly from Louisiana waters. Until 2024, pogy boats were allowed to fish closer than 500 yards from Louisiana’s shorelines, where the boats often make contact with the water bottom. With this new buffer reducing the likelihood of negative gear interactions with the shallow seafloor, there has also been less disturbance of potential spawning grounds for redfish and other sportfish.

A tailing redfish. Credit: Pat Ford Photography

“Louisianans were fed up with our resources being wasted and shorelines being fouled as a result of these spills, so it is refreshing to see this progress,” said David Cresson, CEO of the Coastal Conservation Association Louisiana. “Thanks to Governor Landry, our Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, and the actions of a handful of brave legislators like Representative Joe Orgeron, we now have more reasonable buffers across our coast. These buffers, along with other important measures, have clearly contributed to the drastic reduction in fish spills.”

A coalition of recreational fishing, wildlife and habitat conservation, and boating organizations led by CCA Louisiana and TRCP has worked for more than five years to increase public awareness about the impacts of Louisiana’s industrial menhaden fishery and advocate for some basic conservation measures, such as the ones included in the Notice of Intent. In 2021, State Rep. Joe Orgeron (R-54) first introduced a bill in the Louisiana Legislature which proposed a nearly identical buffer to the one approved earlier this year, but due to industry opposition, the bill ultimately did not pass.

“This is a great example of the state putting effort into making sure it does what is best for all citizens,” said Angler Action Foundation Executive Director Brett Fitzgerald. “A triple win of decreased bycatch, a reduction of user conflict and maybe, most importantly, less destruction of habitats, is a recipe for continued success.”

TRCP and its partners note that while this fishing season is coming to a close, more spill events could still occur, but that the vast majority of previously recorded spills occurred before October – the last month commercial pogy fishing is allowed in Louisiana each year.

Gulf Menhaden Coalition members include the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), CCA Louisiana, CCA Mississippi, CCA Alabama, CCA Texas, CCA Florida, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Louisiana Charter Boat Association, American Sportfishing Association, National Marine Manufacturers Association, Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, International Game Fish Association, Angler Action Foundation, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Audubon Delta, Guy Harvey Foundation, Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, Mississippi Wildlife Federation, and Wildlife Mississippi.

For more information about the key role pogies and other forage fish play in marine ecosystems, visit TRCP’s forage fish recovery page.

by: Jaclyn Higgins

posted in: Forage Fish

October 4, 2024

Anglers Cheer Reintroduction of Forage Fish Conservation Act

This legislation, introduced in the U.S. House, aims to ensure that species at the foundation of the marine food chain are plentiful enough to sustain sportfish populations

As all anglers know, where you find the bait, you find the fish. Forage fish like herring, sardines, and shad are an essential part of marine ecosystems, serving as a nutrient-rich superfood for larger fish, marine mammals, and seabirds. These bait fish support the diets of humpback whales, ospreys, striped bass, Alaska pollock, and bluefin tuna, to name a few. Forage fish are key to America’s fishing economy, supporting it directly when sold as raw material or bait, and indirectly as prey for other marine species.

Recognizing forage fish’ importance to coastal ecosystems and economies, the TRCP has been engaged in the push for better forage fish management; including supporting the bipartisan introduction of the Forage Fish Conservation Act in the House and Senate in 2021. But the act had remained in limbo since.

Humpback whale lunge feeding on anchovies, Monterey, Calif. Photo credit: Robin Gwen Agarwal

Last week, the bipartisan Forage Fish Conservation Act was reintroduced in the House by Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Brian Mast (R-FL). This legislation seeks to fill existing gaps in forage fish management by building on the achievements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which has been vital in combating overfishing and preserving fish stocks for anglers over the past five decades.

This legislation would improve federal fishery management by requiring managers to evaluate the importance of forage fish to the ecosystem and the diet needs of predators.

The bill aims to amend the Magnuson-Stevens Act to account for the ecological role of forage fish, moving beyond traditional single-species management to include considerations of ecosystem impacts. This legislation would improve our federal fishery management framework by requiring managers to weigh the impacts of forage fisheries expansion on the ecosystem and evaluate the importance of such forage fish to the ecosystem and the diet needs of predator species.

“Safeguarding fish stocks from further decline is critical to protecting marine ecosystems and strengthening coastal economies,” said Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) in a news release. “This legislation’s science-based conservation framework for forage fish will both help promote sustainable fisheries and preserve marine wildlife for the enjoyment of future generations.”

Shad and river herring in particular once supported some of the largest commercial and recreational fisheries along the Atlantic coast. However, habitat loss due to dam construction and stock depletion from overfishing have caused herring and shad landings to plummet by 96 percent since 1950.

Economic impacts from recreational angling support nearly 700,000 jobs across the United States. Recreational fishing also generates $138 billion in sales impacts, $45.1 billion in income, and $74.9 billion in value-added impacts annually. The sustainability of our recreational angling economy rests on the health of fish populations on the water. Without thriving forage fish populations, the fish we love to catch won’t have enough to eat.

School of alewives. Photo credit: Brandon Keim

“This is important and bipartisan sustainability legislation that will help protect our coastal health, environment, and economy,” said Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) in the release.

This act would ensure that consistent, science-based conservation measures are applied by each regional fishery management council, addressing gaps in current management practices that have led to forage fish overharvest in recent decades, which undermines recreational and commercial fishery productivity. This common-sense, good-governance approach ensures managers responsibly consider the impacts of new commercial harvests on critical ecosystem components, aiming to proactively prevent costly resource failures.

To improve the conservation of forage fish and strengthen the marine ecosystem, the legislation addresses key needs, including:

Requires the Secretary of Commerce to develop a science-based definition for forage fish in federal waters, with advice from the fisheries councils;
Assesses the impact a new commercial forage fish fishery could have on existing fisheries, fishing communities, and the marine ecosystem prior to the fishery being authorized;
Accounts for predator needs in existing management plans for forage fish;
Specifies that managers consider forage fish when establishing research priorities;
Ensures scientific advice sought by fishery managers includes recommendations for forage fish;
Conserves and manages river herring and shad in the ocean; and
Preserves state management of forage fish fisheries that occur within their jurisdiction.

Boosting forage fish populations will enhance sportfish and fishing opportunities. By implementing the Forage Fish Conservation Act, we can improve management strategies and ensure that anglers benefit from thriving coastal ecosystems and economies for generations to come.