credit Earl Nottingham-Texas Parks and Wildlife
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Critical Menhaden Science Funding Falls Short Again in Virginia
Recreational angling, boating, and conservation community disappointed that state legislative efforts to fund menhaden science in the Chesapeake Bay failed in session
(RICHMOND, Va.)— During the 2025 legislative session, Virginia lawmakers again failed to approve multiple efforts from both sides of the aisle to provide funding for the Virginia Institute of Marine Science to complete a three-year study of the ecology, fishery impacts, and economic importance of the menhaden population in the waters of the Commonwealth. Three separate efforts to fund the research through the state budget, for which the conference report was released by legislators this week, were squashed in this year’s session. The efforts were opposed by Omega Protein, the only reduction fishing company operating in Virginia.
Delegate Paul Milde (R-64) first introduced House Bill 2713, which would have directed the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, in collaboration with VIMS, to conduct the menhaden study. In addition, an amendment to the state’s biennial budget, falling under HB 1600 as Item 148 #4h, sought to earmark funding separately for the same study. Both efforts were stopped in the House without a hearing. A third effort, spearheaded by Delegate Betsy Carr (D-78), which would have provided the first year of funding for the study directly to VIMS as a “research collaboration,” was removed during final budget negotiations with the Senate.
Atlantic menhaden, the target of Virginia’s largest commercial fishery, are a small, schooling fish harvested to be turned into fishmeal and fish oil products through a process known as “reduction” fishing. Due to their high oil content, menhaden – also called bunker – serve as the base of the marine food chain in Virginia, feeding iconic predators like striped bass, bluefish, and ospreys, especially inside the Chesapeake Bay. Currently, there is little data available related to how many menhaden are within the Bay throughout the year, or how reduction fishing affects the Bay’s fragile ecosystem.
“Although Atlantic menhaden are managed on a coastwide basis, there remains a lack of specific data related to how many menhaden are present within the Chesapeake Bay itself and the effects of removing them through large-scale industrial harvest,” said Chris Macaluso, director of the Center for Marine Fisheries for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “We greatly appreciate the efforts of Delegates Milde and Carr for trying to help fish and wildlife managers at the state and regional level. Unfortunately, other Virginia lawmakers weren’t willing to support those efforts again this year, but recreational fishing advocates and a wide range of fisheries conservationists remain strongly committed to pushing for the science needed to properly manage the fisheries in Chesapeake Bay.”
Representatives from Omega Protein, Virginia’s lone menhaden reduction harvester and a subsidiary of Canadian-owned Cooke Seafood, initially supported and participated in the development of the unfunded VIMS study in summer 2023. However, during the 2024 legislative session, they opposed a bill similar to the one introduced this session.
Omega representatives also stalled efforts by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission in 2021 to conduct research on the impacts of menhaden reduction fishing in Chesapeake Bay by not sharing their harvest data with fisheries managers.
“This is not just bad news for fishermen, but bad news for a Chesapeake Bay ecosystem that continues to scream warnings about menhaden,” said Chris Moore, Virginia executive director, Chesapeake Bay Foundation. “For years, we’ve lacked the baseline knowledge we need to establish robust and lasting sustainability for menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay. Unfortunately, only one foreign-owned entity continues to stand in the way of good science and that is Omega Protein, the largest harvester of menhaden on the Atlantic Coast.”
A coalition of 17 national and regional recreational angling, boating, and conservation groups signed a letter in support of this year’s legislative efforts. In addition, more than 24,000 Virginians and other conservationists concerned with Chesapeake fisheries have recently signed a petition by TRCP and CBF, asking Virginia decision-makers to support and protect the Chesapeake Bay and recreational fishing opportunities by funding the science necessary to manage this critical fish.
“It’s very concerning that our lawmakers are listening to lobbyists and prioritizing the profits of the Canadian menhaden industry over the health of the Chesapeake Bay,” said Steve Atkinson, chairman, Virginia Saltwater Sportfishing Association.
“Restoring authority to manage the Bay’s menhaden fishery to qualified fisheries managers was finally achieved after years of effort by Virginia’s conservation community. In order to execute the recovery of this keystone species, a robust study of the fishery’s populations is both critical and necessary,” said Pat Calvert, director, Water & Land Conservation Programs, Virginia Conservation Network. “This opportunity is not promised in the future.”
“I am not surprised that the few who benefit from the current management plans don’t want a study like this to be completed,” said Brett Fitzgerald, executive director, Angler Action Foundation. “Once the public sees how local economies would benefit from improved menhaden management, it will be much more difficult for the status quo to continue.”
More information about the importance of Atlantic menhaden is available on TRCP’s Forage Fish Recovery Page.
Images courtesy CosmoVision Media
Fighting Misinformation and Strengthening Science-Based Policy in CWD Legislation
New legislative proposals influenced by misinformation campaigns could undermine CWD management efforts, influence public perception, and disrupt conservation funding.
The ongoing push for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) solutions is not just about science and wildlife management, it’s also about striving against misinformation and misguided policies that could worsen the crisis. Recently, legislative proposals in North Dakota and Indiana have raised concerns among conservationists and wildlife professionals. These bills could undermine CWD management efforts, influence public perception of the disease, and disrupt conservation funding.
North Dakota’s Controversial CWD Bills: A Dangerous Precedent
In North Dakota, a series of proposed bills threaten to erode science-based CWD policies in favor of narratives that contradict well-established research.
- SB2137 (The Baiting Bill): Passed in the Senate, this bill restricts the state’s ability to regulate baiting, a practice known to increase CWD transmission among cervids. This undermines existing science-backed measures designed to slow the spread of the disease. It also takes management decisions away from professional wildlife biologists and gives it to legislators.
- HB1236 & HB1325: These bills seek to prevent the North Dakota Game and Fish Department from allocating funds to CWD management and redefine diagnostic requirements in ways that contradict established prion science.
- Public Access to CWD Records Bill: This legislation, promoted by individuals questioning the legitimacy of CWD, aims to make all positive detections publicly available for four years, including microscopic slides of prions and necropsy reports. However, the proposal ignores the scientific consensus on CWD testing and the logistical challenges of cataloging slides for every positive test.
These bills have been strongly influenced by misinformation campaigns that question the very existence of prions—the infectious proteins responsible for CWD. Some proponents falsely claim that CWD is a nutritional deficiency rather than a contagious disease. This rhetoric mirrors past disinformation efforts that sought to dismiss the severity of prion diseases like Mad Cow Disease.
Indiana’s Risky Genetic Experimentation Bill
In Indiana, another troubling piece of legislation, SB32, proposes a program to breed and release deer that are “genetically resistant” to CWD. While the idea of genetic resistance is intriguing, the science behind it remains inconclusive. The approach assumes that some deer might have genes that make them immune to CWD, yet research has shown that so-called “resistant” deer can still become infected—just at a slower rate.1,2
Similar programs have been proposed in other states, but their implementation risks unintended consequences, such as the spread of undetected infections and disruptions to natural selection in wild deer populations. Conservation groups have expressed strong opposition to this bill, citing concerns over inadequate scientific backing and potential ecological risks.
The vast majority of CWD researchers agree that this is a bad idea. Read their statement HERE
The Role of Science in Combating Misinformation
The push for legislation based on misinformation highlights the urgent need for strong, science-backed communication efforts. Misinformation about CWD isn’t just a public relations issue. It has real-world consequences. Policies influenced by unverified claims can increase disease transmission, misallocate conservation funding, and erode public trust in wildlife management agencies.
To counter these narratives, conservation organizations and wildlife professionals must prioritize:
- Clear, evidence-based communication: Explaining CWD’s prion pathology in accessible language.
- Proactive engagement with policymakers: Ensuring that legislative decisions are informed by peer-reviewed research.
- Funding for CWD response: Advocating for sustained funding to support CWD research, surveillance, management, and suppression efforts, ensuring long-term disease control.
A Responsible Approach to CWD Management
The TRCP and other conservation groups recognize the need to address CWD with urgency, but without alarmism. The spread of CWD is a serious issue that requires measured, science-driven responses. While some states struggle with misinformation-driven policies, others continue to advance responsible wildlife management strategies that emphasize testing, research, and adaptive management.
As hunters, conservationists, and policymakers navigate the complexities of CWD, it is crucial to remain steadfast in the commitment to scientific integrity. The hunting community plays a vital role in monitoring and mitigating CWD, but they must be equipped with accurate information and supported by policies that prioritize conservation over controversy.
The fight against CWD is not just about managing disease. It’s about ensuring that future generations can continue to enjoy healthy wildlife populations and sustainable hunting traditions.
Learn more about CWD by clicking HERE
Citations
- Robinson, S. J., Samuel, M. D., O’Rourke, K. I., & Johnson, C. J. (2012). The role of genetics in chronic wasting disease of North American cervids. Prion, 6(2), 153-162. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.4161/pri.19640.
Research indicates that deer with certain genetic traits, previously thought to have genes that make them immune to CWD, can still become infected, albeit at slower rates. This study found that white-tailed deer possessing at least one copy of the 96S allele were infected at rates three to four times lower than those with the 96GG genotype. However, these “resistant” deer still contracted the disease, suggesting that the 96S allele delays infection rather than prevents it entirely.
- Moazami-Goudarzi, K., Andréoletti, O., Vilotte, J. L., & Béringue, V. (2021). Review on PRNP genetics and susceptibility to chronic wasting disease of Cervidae. Veterinary Research, 52, 1-15. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13567-021-00993-z
This study highlighted that while certain prion protein gene (PRNP) polymorphisms are associated with reduced susceptibility to CWD, they do not provide complete immunity. Deer with these polymorphisms may experience longer incubation periods before clinical signs appear, but they remain susceptible to infection.
The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.
TRCP Launches Public Land Access Webpage
New webpage is an educational resource for hunters and anglers concerned with federal public land transfer or sale
Today, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership announced their Public Land Access webpage, an educational resource for hunters, anglers, and all Americans who take pride in their public lands and are concerned with the threat of federal public land transfer or sale.
Spurred by Utah’s August 2024 petition for the U.S. Supreme Court to transfer Bureau of Land Management acres to state ownership, the TRCP made their position clear that the organization opposes the blanket sale or transfer of federal public lands to states.
America’s 640 million acres of national public lands – including our National Forests and Bureau of Land Management lands – provide irreplaceable hunting and fishing opportunities to millions of Americans. Federally managed public lands are the backbone of America’s outdoor recreation industry, which contributed $639.5 billion to the U.S. Gross Domestic Product in 2023.
In January 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Utah’s petition, marking another major win for public land hunting, fishing, and access. However, this was not the first attempt to force the sale or transfer of federal public lands, and unfortunately, it will not be the last. In the 2025 state legislative sessions that have just begun, legislators in several Western states have already voted in support of resolutions aimed at forcing federal agencies to transfer their lands.
The Public Land Access webpage details the unintended financial impacts of federal land transfer, the history of public land transfer attempts, and the intricacies of state trust land management. Visitors also have the opportunity to take action and sign a petition to keep public lands and wildlife in public hands.
To learn more about the threat of federal public land transfer or sale and to sign the petition, visit the webpage HERE.
Photo credit: Josh Metten
The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.
In the Arena: Franklin Adams
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.
Capt. Franklin Adams
Hometown: Born in Miami, Florida
Occupation: Retired; former occupations include warden-naturalist for the National Audubon Society, Florida Master Naturalist, land surveyor (with projects in Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades National Park, and the Florida Keys), surveyor/mapper for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Merchant Marine officer, and eco-tour operator/ fishing guide with a USCG 100-ton Master’s license
Conservation credentials: As a true Gladesman, conservationist, and historian, Adams has spent more than six decades championing Everglades restoration efforts while working for and with conservation nonprofits, government agencies, and private businesses, as well as chartering inshore fishing adventures. He’s also the former chair of the Florida Wildlife Federation and a 31-year board member, as well as past president of the Florida Division of the Izaak Walton League of America and Collier County chairman of the Friends of the Everglades.
While thousands of people and scores of organizations are involved in the conservation of America’s Everglades, few, if any, have the breadth and depth of experience and understanding as Capt. Franklin Adams. This is a man who was fortunate to experience South Florida in a relatively unspoiled, natural condition, and was on the front lines of early protection efforts. Who else was personally mentored by Marjory Stoneman Douglas – the author, women’s suffrage advocate, and conservationist credited with launching the Everglades conservation movement – and once hunted waterfowl in the wetlands that later became Everglades National Park? Adams has been officially recognized as a “Guardian of the Everglades,” largely for his advocacy for Big Cypress National Preserve and successful effort to help protect what became the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, now the largest state park in Florida and a refuge for Florida panthers and the rare Everglades mink, as well as the largest number of rare native orchids and bromeliads in North America.
Here is his story.
I was introduced at a young age to fishing, hunting, and enjoyment of the great outdoors by my father, G.B. Adams. I actually accompanied my dad duck hunting on West Lake prior to it becoming part of Everglades National Park in 1947. I was taught gun safety and to respect wildlife and wild places.
One of my most memorable outdoor experiences was a couple years before that when I was taken to the woods by my daddy for my seventh birthday. (We referred to the Everglades and Big Cypress as “going to the woods.”) We had to walk into the campsite at night as he and his friends had gotten off work late. It was so new and exciting for a young boy that I have never forgotten that first family experience. A cold front was approaching as we came into deer camp, so dad had me collect some “boot jacks” off a cabbage palm tree in the upland hammock and he used them to start a lightered pine fire.
“I began to see objects in the smoke and mist – deer, Indian chickees, and turkey gobblers floated through my imagination that night as I went into a deep sleep.“
Dad had brought venison chili, which was heated up on the fire grid and biscuits were baked in a Dutch oven. Smelled good, and tasted even better. After supper dad and his friends sat around the fire and sipped some “brown swamp water” and told stories of past trips and experiences. I leaned up against an old live oak and listened as the cold front moved in and enjoyed the odor of the burning, smoking pine. As the front moved in, a ground fog began to mist slowly through the hardwood hammock and I was fighting to stay awake. I began to see objects in the smoke and mist – deer, Indian chickees (traditional shelters used by the Miccosukee and Seminole Tribes), and turkey gobblers floated through my imagination that night as I went into a deep sleep. In the morning, I awoke to the smell of lighter knot coffee, pancakes, and sausage on the fire. That was my first trip to the Everglades’ Big Cypress region and I was captured by that wonderful experience. I have been going back ever since. So, add 80 more years to that 7-year-old’s birthday. Thanks, Dad.
If I could hunt or fish anywhere, where would it be, and why? That’s a difficult one. There are so many places known for their fishing and hunting and I have never been to them. I want to take my grandson, Michael, with me, so probably the Ten Thousand Islands of the southwest Florida area. Up Lostmans River, Broad River, or Shark River to fish for snook. Why, it’s an area I know and love and not too distant from home.
Conservation absolutely enhances my outdoor life. This is how my career came about. As I accompanied my father in his surveying business around South Florida, I witnessed the destruction and continual loss of wetlands and woods that we had enjoyed. I began to become concerned and to inquire as to causes for the loss of these treasured natural areas. Why was it necessary to destroy that hardwood hammock, that prairie, or fill in that duck hunting lake? Mom and Dad began to encourage my conservation concerns and provided me with nature books, stressing the importance of outdoor ethics and the value of natural areas if left alone and protected.
“If we are to enjoy the outdoors, no matter what our interests are, then we have an obligation to defend and speak out on behalf of nature and wildlife.“
The more I learned, the more I became frustrated, and somewhat angry. When I was in high school, I discovered Marjory Stoneman Douglas’s book, The Everglades: River of Grass, published in 1947. From her book I learned so much, including that one could speak out in defense of natural areas. Later she would become a mentor and a family friend. In 1970, she established Friends of the Everglades to fight the Big Cypress jetport project and asked me to be the Collier County chairman. As I added on some age and experience, I headed up several conservation organizations as an unpaid volunteer over the years, including serving as chair of the Florida Wildlife Federation and a board member for 31 years.
If we are to enjoy the outdoors, no matter what our interests are, then we have an obligation to defend and speak out on behalf of nature and wildlife. If you are not already doing so, start by becoming a member and supporter of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.
The biggest outdoor challenge we face in Florida, and there are many, is protecting wetlands and the water quality that they provide, cost-free if we protect them. We continue to lose critical habitat to unwise development and, yes, greed, and not respecting nature.
It is vitally important to mentor and educate your children, grandchildren, and families as to the importance of conservation; why it is imperative for them to be involved in learning about and becoming knowledgeable defenders of the outdoors they enjoy and love. Otherwise, we will continue to lose habitat. Nature and the outdoors not only are important to wildlife, but they are also vitally important to us as an escape from stress, and provide restorative experiences that we can share with family and friends for a lifetime of memories.
Banner image: Franklin at a Fakahatchee Strand Preserve campfire talk, credit Dino Barone
HOW YOU CAN HELP
TRCP has partnered with Afuera Coffee Co. to further our commitment to conservation. $4 from each bag is donated to the TRCP, to help continue our efforts of safeguarding critical habitats, productive hunting grounds, and favorite fishing holes for future generations.
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