Menhaden Stock Assessment Indicates Catch Must Be Reduced to Benefit Striped Bass

October 15, 2025

The 2025 Atlantic menhaden stock assessment updates connect menhaden harvest directly to the health of marine predators; ASMFC projections suggest cutting commercial catch limit by half

If you fish the Atlantic coast for striped bass, bluefish, or bluefin tuna, here’s the truth: your success depends on Atlantic menhaden. These small forage fish fuel the predators sought by recreational anglers and charter businesses, as well as whales, dolphins, ospreys, and many other species integral to a thriving food web.

Last week, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission released the 2025 Atlantic Menhaden Ecological Reference Point Stock Assessment Report, which sets the stage for how Atlantic menhaden will be managed for the next few years. The update indicates that the coastwide menhaden biomass is lower than previously estimated and resulting projections now suggest that slashing the coastwide catch limit by more than 50 percent may be necessary to ensure sufficient forage for striped bass rebuilding.

What Are ERPs & Why Do They Matter?

This latest benchmark stock assessment and peer review process for Atlantic menhaden uses ecosystem modeling to establish ecological reference points (ERPs) — clear, science-based limits that tie menhaden harvest directly to predator health. Unlike traditional single-species models that only measure the health of one species (how many fish there are, how fast they grow, how many are caught, etc.), ERPs explicitly weigh the tradeoffs between menhaden harvest and predator population outcomes — especially for striped bass. These numbers are our best tool to keep striped bass (also known as rockfish) and other sportfish thriving by ensuring they have adequate food left in the water.

If we catch this many menhaden, what happens to the predators that rely on them?

A key outcome of “SEDAR 102,” the official name of the stock assessment update, is the update to ERPs. Utilizing ERPs means that menhaden are not just managed based on that sole fishery, but also through considering the needs of predators that eat them (i.e., striped bass), and the broader ecosystem. The assessment update draws on the best available science — everything from updated menhaden life history information to new predator diet data to account for complex predator-prey relationships. Importantly, both the latest single-species and ecosystem models went through independent peer review by external experts, and were found to be scientifically credible for management.

TRCP and partners successfully advocated for ERPs to be considered in menhaden management starting in 2020. With ERPs, the idea is: if we harvest menhaden at industrial scales, even if their own stock looks healthy, we might not leave enough in the water for predators that rely on them, like striped bass, bluefish, osprey, and bluefin tuna. In plain terms: ERPs help managers answer the question, “If we catch this many menhaden, what happens to the predators that rely on them?”

Where We Stand Now

The ASMFC’s Menhaden Management Board should now approve these updated ERP values for management (a revised ERP fishing mortality target that balances menhaden harvest with the needs of striped bass and a new ERP “overfishing” threshold). The Board is gearing up to accept the new ERPs at their annual meeting on Oct. 28, and then update the coastwide total allowable catch for the 2026-2028 fishing seasons, based on those values.

The 2023 menhaden fishing mortality rate was estimated to be above the updated ERP target, meaning current menhaden fishing pressure won’t allow striped bass to rebuild to their biomass target. That tells managers that while neither stock is collapsing, the commercial menhaden fishery is removing more fish from the water than the ecosystem-based fishing target says will support striped bass rebuilding. In plain terms: menhaden are not technically “overfished” nor experiencing “overfishing,” but stripers and other predators aren’t getting all the menhaden they need to maintain healthy populations of their own.

Stripers Stand the Most to Gain (or Lose)

Rebuilding the Atlantic striped bass population isn’t just about regulating striped bass harvest. It’s also about ensuring that their main food source — Atlantic menhaden — is managed responsibly. The ERP framework is designed to link menhaden harvest levels directly to predator population outcomes. And no predator drives the ecosystem models more than striped bass.

Here’s the reality:

Unlike menhaden, striped bass are overfished. Their spawning stock biomass remains below target levels.
Menhaden are their primary forage. If menhaden fishing mortality levels rise above the ERP target, it reduces the availability of prey just when stripers need it most to rebuild.

So, fishing menhaden below the ERP fishing mortality target ensures sufficient forage is left in the water for striped bass rebuilding to be achieved. More food for stripers to grow, survive, and reproduce is exactly what’s needed to get the stock back on track.

Slashing the coastwide menhaden catch limit by more than 50 percent may be necessary to ensure sufficient forage for striped bass.

Why This Matters to Recreational Anglers

The ERPs give managers a roadmap to keep predators and prey in balance. But they don’t automatically trigger any fishery management changes. The coastwide menhaden quota still needs to be set, and projections by the Atlantic Menhaden Technical Committee indicate that the total allowable catch will need to be cut by over 50 percent to achieve even a 50/50 probability of not exceeding the ERP fishing mortality target next season. We know that Virginia’s menhaden reduction fishery will push for the allowable catch to remain high, but we can’t ignore what the updated ERP values indicate. The ERP target isn’t just a number on a chart — it’s a data-driven indicator that says: If we leave this much bait in the water, striped bass stand a chance to rebuild.

Remember, the new ERP values represent the best available science and rigorous peer review. Accepting these updated values is essential to:

Maintain the integrity of the ERP framework — the very system that puts predator needs at the heart of menhaden management.
Ensure sustainable menhaden harvests that don’t undermine the forage base critical to Atlantic predators.

If the Menhaden Management Board fails to adopt these science-based ERP values, the role of menhaden as a keystone forage species in the Atlantic ecosystem could be jeopardized — and recreational anglers will be among the first to feel the impact.

Two Possible Levers Toward One Outcome

The ASMFC has two main tools to help rebuild striped bass populations:

Reduce striped bass fishing mortality. The Atlantic Striped Bass Board has already acted, implementing new regulations that reduced striped bass fishing mortality to a 30-year low. In other words, anglers have already made sacrifices toward a solution.
Reduce menhaden fishing mortality. This is now the only key lever left for fisheries managers to support striped bass recovery.

If menhaden aren’t managed at or below the ERP fishing mortality target, striped bass rebuilding will remain constrained, no matter what’s done on the striped bass fishery side. Ecosystem models are complex, and uncertainty always exists in predator-prey interactions and environmental conditions. That’s why the ERP framework recommends a precautionary approach to leave a buffer of forage in the system to safeguard against uncertainty. This is the standard for managing a key forage fish — and it’s exactly what the peer-reviewed science supports.

What You Can Do

Stay informed: When you hear debates about updates to the coastwide quota, and see conflicting information about what should drive it, know that the latest ERP fishing mortality target is the line in the sand for predator health.
Speak up: Recreational voices matter at ASMFC and state agency meetings. Ask the Menhaden Management Board to accept the updated ERPs and set the 2026-2028 total allowable menhaden catch so there’s no more than a 50 percent chance of exceeding the ERP fishing mortality target. Anglers have a seat at this table — let’s use it.
Think long-term: More menhaden left in the water now means more fall striper blitzes, fatter fish, and better fishing in the years ahead for us and future generations.

For more information about how to tune in to the ASMFC annual meeting Oct. 27-30, when the Menhaden Management Board will discuss changes to the ERPs and total allowable catch as a result of the stock assessment update, visit the ASMFC meeting webpage.

2 Responses to “Menhaden Stock Assessment Indicates Catch Must Be Reduced to Benefit Striped Bass ”

Fred Zivicky October 17, 2025

Stop Omega from catching any menhaden within the Chesapeake bay completely. They are laying nets across the narrowest part of the bay in Virginia which prevents the majority of the menhaden from getting into the upper part of the bay where 80% of the striped bass spawn. This has been going on for years and needs to be stopped. Let Omega fish outside the bay area and only allow fishing 3 miles off the coast.

October 17, 2025 at 2:32 pm

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John Reynold Hurd October 17, 2025

To get Omega out of the Chesapeake Bay, it will require strong political leadership to get the elected officials not near the bay to vote appropriately. The fact that Virginia buys other states allotment of the Menhaden catch on the East Coast makes a bad problem worse. Stop the strip mining of the bay.

October 17, 2025 at 3:53 pm

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by: Jaclyn Higgins

posted in: Menhaden

October 1, 2025

Can the Gulf Menhaden Fishery Reduce Redfish Bycatch?

TRCP breaks down the final results of a 2024 Gulf menhaden bycatch study, which reveals multiple ways to protect redfish and other sportfish

Louisiana’s Gulf menhaden fishery is the second largest fishery in the country, with harvests of nearly 1 billion pounds of these critical forage fish annually. And this comes at a cost. As TRCP recently reported, state-funded research shows that the two companies that harvest Gulf menhaden, also known as “pogies,” are catching and killing nearly 150 million non-target fish each year as bycatch, including 30,000 redfish and hundreds of thousands of other pogy predators like spotted seatrout (speckled trout), black drum, and jack crevalle, as well as 25-million-plus sand seatrout, commonly called white trout.

For Louisiana, this matters because redfish (Louisiana’s only saltwater gamefish, also known as red drum) and other sportfish aren’t just any fish — they’re a cornerstone of the state’s $3.7 billion recreational fishing economy. They bring in anglers, fuel guide services, and support local businesses. When redfish are lost as bycatch – especially breeding-size fish – Louisiana loses twice: in terms of the fish themselves and again in terms of lost economic opportunity.

Environmental research company LGL Ecological Research Associates conducted a two-part study during the 2024 pogy fishing season to examine: 1) What species (including red drum) are caught as bycatch in Louisiana’s menhaden reduction fishery, and 2) What happens to released bycatch—i.e. how many fish survive after being caught and released.

TRCP reported on the preliminary results of this work back in July, but now that we have the final results, the public and Louisiana decisionmakers have the data they’ve needed for years to determine how this industrial fishery truly impacts redfish populations in Sportsman’s Paradise, and which bycatch mitigation measures could be effective moving forward to help sustain healthy sportfish populations.

Key Study Findings

Here are some key takeaways of the full report:

Total bycatch (i.e. non‐target species) for the fishery was estimated at 3.59 percent by weight – that’s within state limits but represents about 146 million fish unintentionally caught by the menhaden fishery in a single fishing season. This includes 86 total non-target species.
- “Retained bycatch,” which enters a vessel’s hold to be processed with the pogies, made up approximately 82 percent of the bycatch by weight. Top species in retained bycatch were Atlantic croaker, sand seatrout, spot, white shrimp, hardhead catfish, and gafftopsail catfish.
- For released bycatch, there were two main components: “rollover bycatch” (fish too large to enter a suction hose inside the purse net, which were then rolled out into the water at the end of the set) and “chute bycatch” (fish that passed into the hose but were then blocked by an excluder device and diverted into the water via a chute).
Half of all sets made in 2024 were in less than 15 feet of water.
- Redfish bycatch was more likely to occur in sets made in 0-22 feet of water depth (76 percent of all sets made); deeper than that and redfish bycatch was reduced.
Croaker, sand seatrout, spot, and white shrimp made up 84 percent of all retained bycatch. An estimated 240,000 speckled trout also were caught as retained bycatch, with an average size of 10 inches.
- Recreational speckled trout regulations prohibit harvesting any fish under 13 inches in Louisiana.
Many different types of bycatch excluder devices were used between the 32 vessels operating in the fishery, with some much more effective than others at reducing the number of non-target fish sucked into the hose and destined for the chute or the hold.

Redfish bycatch was more likely to occur in net sets made in less than 22 feet of water depth.

Regarding redfish specifically:

Nearly 45,000 redfish were caught as rollover and chute bycatch, and after survival experiments, nearly 22,000 breeding-size redfish were estimated to die during the season as a result of being caught.
- While 84 percent of redfish remaining in the net as rollover bycatch were estimated to survive, only 2 percent of redfish sucked into the hose and diverted to the chute survived.
- Another approximately 8,300 smaller redfish were caught as retained bycatch, likely all juveniles, all of which died as they ended up in the hold.
- Total redfish mortality (released + retained) was estimated at over 30,000 individuals for the season.
The average redfish size in rollover bycatch was 37 inches, in chute bycatch 35 inches.
- That means these were nearly all fully mature fish. Recreational redfish regulations prohibit harvesting any fish over 27 inches to protect as many spawning-size redfish as possible.
In the late summer through fall months, the likelihood of redfish bycatch increased noticeably, with consistently higher bycatch observed along central and eastern Louisiana, with redfish bycatch peaking from August through October.
- A full 45 to 50 percent of female redfish caught as bycatch in September and October were spawning (i.e., egg-laden and ready to reproduce).

In the late summer and fall, the likelihood of redfish bycatch increased noticeably.

Implications for Decisionmakers – And Louisiana’s Redfish Population

Here’s why Louisiana decisionmakers and anglers should care, and what could be done to reduce the menhaden fishery’s impacts on redfish populations:

Bycatch excluder device design is important. This study underscores that the design of bycatch excluder devices—most importantly, hose cages that prevent larger, non-target fish in the net from experiencing trauma due to entering the suction hose—strongly influences how many mature redfish end up in the more dangerous chute component versus being excluded/rolled over the net while never leaving the water. Of course, handling after capture and before release also affects survival.
- Potential mitigation measure: Require standardized bycatch excluder devices that maximize rollover release and minimize chute mortality.
Released bycatch mortality is non‐trivial. Even though many redfish caught as bycatch are released, for chute‐released individuals survival is extremely low (about 2 percent). For rollover, survival is far better. But because both methods are used, total mortality from released plus retained bycatch is sizable (approximately 30,000 redfish in 2024 alone). That’s a meaningful number, especially considering this happens each year.
- Potential mitigation measure: Address redfish retention and harvest by the menhaden fishery via current commercial regulations (redfish commercial harvest has technically been prohibited in the state for nearly 40 years).
Where and when the fishery operates matters. The study showed that bycatch levels aren’t uniform: amounts vary greatly by time of year, by location, by vessel/plant, etc. for different species. This suggests there is potential to reduce harm to species like redfish by reducing pogy boat efforts in certain areas and at specific times.
- Potential mitigation measure: Explore locational/seasonal restrictions in hotspots where redfish bycatch has been shown to be highest, such as during the August to October redfish spawning season in central and eastern Louisiana, particularly in shallower, near-shore waters.
Additional oversight can help. Louisiana already has some pogy regulations to address bycatch—no more than 5 percent of catch by weight for species other than menhaden and herring-like species, and buffer zones to reduce bycatch in shallow water—but clearly more could be done to evaluate ecosystem impacts moving forward.
- Potential mitigation measure: Continue monitoring bycatch in future fishing seasons (observer coverage and/or electronic monitoring) and update enforcement quality.

Bottom Line

This study shows that bycatch (both retained and released) in Louisiana’s pogy fishery is a significant fraction of total catch, at more than 146 million fish annually.
Redfish are one of the primary species caught as bycatch, and while many are released, survival depends heavily on how they are released (rollover vs. chute).
- Of those fish, many that are retained with menhaden in the hold haven’t ever spawned and never will, and many that are caught in the chute and eventually die are mature, and possibly actively spawning.
Speckled trout caught by the fishery mainly end up in the hold, with over 240,000 mostly juvenile individuals retained annually by the fishery.

While recreational fishing accounts for most of the redfish harvest in Louisiana, bycatch from the industrial menhaden fishery still kills tens of thousands of redfish each year, along with millions of other fish including speckled trout, white trout, Atlantic croaker, and cownose rays. Unlike recreational harvest, these deaths produce no economic return for Louisiana – they’re simply waste. In addition, the industry is clearly commercially harvesting species that are either illegal to harvest commercially or are under regulations that don’t seem to apply to the menhaden fishery’s activities.

The science is clear: with better bycatch reduction gear and data-based locational/seasonal catch considerations, much of this loss could be avoided. By addressing menhaden bycatch from multiple possible angles, Louisiana can protect the sportfish central to its culture and economy, reduce unnecessary waste, and ensure our coastal ecosystems provide abundance for future generations of anglers.

More information about the ecological and recreational importance of Gulf menhaden is available on TRCP’s Forage Fish Recovery Page.

Banner image courtesy Pat Ford Photography

by: Ryan Lockwood

posted in: Menhaden

September 17, 2025

In the Arena: David Mangum

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. David Mangum

Hometown: Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
Occupation: Saltwater fly-fishing guide for Shallow Water Expeditions
Conservation credentials: Mangum is a YETI ambassador and outdoor photographer who utilizes his talents to produce media that inspire a spirit of conservation and educate saltwater anglers. He’s also been involved with the fish-tagging efforts of the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science.

Born and raised in the Florida panhandle, Mangum has developed his expertise for finding and catching fish from decades on his home waters. He is widely known as a tarpon specialist (some might say addict) who lands a list of top clients the chance to battle the silver king as well as redfish and other quarry in shallow-water flats and coastal marshes. A passionate fly fisherman with an adventurous soul, he’s guided around North America, from Alaska to Colorado to the Bahamas, and has been featured in an episode of the Millhouse Podcast. Mangum also is an avid hunter, who’s relished many annual winter quail hunts in Arizona. Despite all this, his pursuits aren’t just limited to professional fishing, hobby hunting, and world-class photography. This renaissance (outdoors)man is also an accomplished oil painter whose works center on his saltwater lifestyle and other nature-focused subject matter. Mangum even boasts co-director credits for “Huff – The Film,” a short documentary about another legendary Florida guide and close friend.

Here is his story.

Like many others, I was introduced to the outdoors at a young age by my father, Col. Denny Mangum, United States Air Force. He taught me both upland bird hunting and fishing.

I remember the first time I saw tarpon was with him. I was young and we were fishing in Destin. He didn’t see the tarpon in the water, but several of them “rolled” at the same time and I swore to him I had seen some kind of sea serpent. That memory stuck with me for years until I was older and realized what I had seen. I have often wondered if that was the formative moment that would lead me down the path to becoming a guide, and more specifically, a guide who is known for tarpon.

If I could hunt or fish anywhere, I would return to southern Arizona to chase Mearns quail. I spent many a January with my first bird dog, Bella, in the high desert canyons of the Coronado National Forest.

Conservation is necessary for the places like this, where we hunt and fish. Without the conservation efforts of those before me, I believe our outdoor world would be in desperate shape. Anywhere you look (with a few exceptions), our natural world has taken a toll. Less fish, less animals, fewer places untouched by our human hand. It’s only because of the efforts of those without blinders on that we still have the remaining flora and fauna which we share the world with.

“Freshwater is the lifeblood of everything that lives in the salt. It all starts there.”

I believe the biggest conservation challenge along north Florida’s Gulf Coast is water. The diminished flows and instability of freshwater rivers, with either too much or not enough fresh water, is one of the most influential factors on coastal systems today. The balance has been thrown off. Freshwater is the lifeblood of everything that lives in the salt. It all starts there. Where salt and fresh meet, plankton and zooplankton thrive and start the food web. At the top of that web is one of the most important fish in the sea, the menhaden.

Gamefish, birds, and marine mammals depend on the menhaden as their primary food source. These small filter feeders are essential to ALL creatures in the sea. Without the menhaden everything we see in our coastal ecosystems falls apart.

The simple reason it’s important for me personally to be involved in conservation is that I feel morally obligated to take action when I see problem. We all should! Especially those of us who make a living using the outdoor resources.

“Without the menhaden everything we see in our coastal ecosystems falls apart.“

It’s obvious why conservation should matter to the next generation of hunters and anglers. We just need to ask future outdoorsmen and women this question: What will the world look like if conservation isn’t important to you? Just imagine the current place you live, but without the sounds of birds, of insects and frogs at night. Imagine no fish in the water and no deer in the woods. That’s a world none of us wants, and that’s why we should all be adamantly involved in conservation.

Banner image credit: Jay Riley

by: Ryan Lockwood

posted in: Menhaden

August 21, 2025

The Merits of Fly Fishing: A Conversation with Peter Kaminsky

The author, angler, and conservation advocate shares why fly fishing continues to inspire him—and why anglers must have a voice in conservation.

Few people can capture the magic of fly fishing like Peter Kaminsky. The celebrated author, journalist, and lifelong angler has spent decades chasing fish across the globe—and championing the waters and habitats they call home. In this exclusive TRCP conversation, Kaminsky shares the captivating story of how he fell in love with fly fishing, the ways it has shaped his life, and why anglers have a critical role to play in conservation. Whether you’re a seasoned fly fisher or just wondering if the sport might be for you, his reflections are as inspiring as they are insightful.

For more than three decades, Kaminsky contributed to the New York Times Outdoors column and has served as a contributing editor to Field & Stream, Sports Afield, and Outdoor Life. His books—including The Moon Pulled Up an Acre of Bass and The Catch of a Lifetime—blend storytelling, personal reflections, and a deep respect for the natural world. His newest release, The Zen of Flyfishing (2025), captures the joy and meaning he’s found in the sport through essays, quotes, and stunning imagery.

In our latest conversation, Kaminsky reflected on his journey into fly fishing, the restorative qualities of time on the water, and the role anglers play in sustaining healthy fisheries. He also shared some interesting history about Theodore Roosevelt’s uncle, another outdoorsman who inspired the future president’s conservation ethos.

Finding a Calling on the Water

Peter Kaminsky’s first encounter with fly fishing was clearly transformative. On a trip to Mexico in the 1970s, he watched veteran anglers casting in the surf and felt an instant connection—what he calls “the hour I first believed.” Back in New York, he sought instruction from legendary fly fisherman Doug Swisher and never looked back.

Since then, fly fishing has been a grounding force in both good times and bad. “It’s the thing I return to in the rough times,” he says, describing how the sport can suspend time and bring peace. Hear his account of how during a period of personal hardship, while fishing Idaho’s Silver Creek, he found both solace and perspective: “It showed me you don’t have to feel miserable all the time – there’s a sunny side.”

Conservation, Connection, and Responsibility

Kaminsky has fished around the world, from trout streams in the Rockies to bonefish flats in the Yucatán, but remains deeply connected to the waters near home—especially the striped bass fishery along the Atlantic Coast. He’s witnessed the boom-and-bust cycles of striper populations and warns that current challenges, from depleted menhaden stocks to degraded spawning habitat in the Chesapeake Bay, demand action.

For him, conservation isn’t about moral superiority; it’s about ensuring the future of the resource. And wherever you stand on the practice of catch and release fishing, you’ll want to hear his wisdom on the matter.

“Everything gets eaten in this world,” he says. “It’s just a question of who’s eating it and when.”

Passing It On

Kaminsky also takes inspiration from conservation history, noting the influence of Theodore Roosevelt’s uncle, Robert Barnhill Roosevelt, in shaping America’s fish and game management. He sees that legacy as a call to keep our lands and waters “green and bountiful” for the next generation.

For those curious about fly fishing for the first time, his advice is simple: get casting lessons. “Seek out someone with the patience to teach you,” he says. “The investment will pay off.”

Watch the full interview here.

All photos are from The Zen of Flyfishing by Peter Kaminsky (2025), published by Workman Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group.

by: Guest Author Austin Evans

posted in: Menhaden

August 5, 2025

Hooked Early, Hooked for Life: Why Kids Hold the Future of Our Fisheries

TRCP’s marine fisheries intern reflects on how personal experience shaped his interest in the outdoors, the need for youth angling participation, and the importance of forage fish conservation for the next generation

Memory is a weird thing. It helps us to not repeat mistakes from the past and enables us to recall some of our favorite times. You might remember your first-grade class pet’s name but forget your Netflix password four times in a month. There’s not much rhyme or reason to it.

Some people talk about how they can remember the first fish they ever caught. I’m not one of those people — I couldn’t tell you what species it was or where I was when I caught it. However, I can tell you the first time I remember being jealous of a fish someone else caught. One of my friends, Winslow, hooked a bonnethead shark in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina (pictured below), and while I did catch some seatrout that day, it was the allure of Winslow’s shark that brought me back to fishing over and over again. So one thing I do know about memory is that when we learn to fish at a young age, we’ll never forget some of those early experiences – and they will help shape our values and interests.

Me photobombing Winslow and my godfather, Dave D., holding the bonnethead years ago. Credit: Sid Evans

The Importance of Starting Young

Last summer, I was lucky enough to work as a fishing and kayaking camp counselor in Charleston and experience the joy of catching a fish for the first time again — this time from a new perspective. My main job was watching kids catch shrimps, minnows, and other small fish with nets and rods off the dock and taking them around in kayaks. What many of these kids learned was that all of these species play a key role in coastal habitats by serving as “forage” (a food source) for larger fish and wildlife.

“More than 90 percent of adult participation in hunting and fishing is directly related to active participation as a youth.“

What amazed me was that kids would come back each day with more excitement and knowledge about fishing and the ecosystem than the day before, and all with their own reasons. A full net of baby shrimps one day turned overnight into questions about osprey and the local food chain. One kid caught a stingray and had a ridiculous grin on his face for the rest of the camp week. Others who weren’t into catching fish were amazed by the dolphins that swam right up to our kayaks in Shem Creek.

According to data from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, more than 90 percent of adult participation in hunting and fishing is directly related to active participation as a youth. Kids that grow up with great outdoor memories tend to pursue those hobbies for the rest of their life, and taking care of our public lands, restoring our wetlands and fisheries, and ensuring access for hunting and angling will be of the types of issues that will be a priority for them.

A kayaking field trip I co-led on Shem Creek off Charleston Harbor, 2024. Credit: Coastal Expeditions

Fisheries Challenges Facing the Next Generation

Many of the marine waters that Southern and Eastern anglers grew up on are now struggling. The management of forage fish like menhaden has been hamstrung over the years due to the influence of industrial-scale reduction fisheries in the Gulf and on the Eastern Seaboard. Menhaden are a vital food source for numerous predators, including larger fish, marine mammals, and birds, and lower localized population numbers have led to ecological backsliding in areas like the Chesapeake Bay, which can impact fisheries in other Atlantic states, including South Carolina.

Industrial-scale removals of menhaden also have other negative impacts. A 2024 study on bycatch in the industrial Gulf menhaden fishery indicates that approximately 22,000 breeding-size redfish, tens of millions of non-target forage fish, and numerous other marine species were killed by the menhaden industry off Louisiana’s coast last year alone.

To effectively manage our coastal ecosystems, we need to have a two-pronged approach: ensuring that forage fish populations continue to improve through federal and state regulations and marine fisheries policies, and getting more young people outside with a rod in their hands to create future champions for our favorite waters.

A younger me with my father holding a small seatrout. Credit: Dave DiBenedetto

Ensuring Our Angling Legacy

Kids really don’t need much to have fun. They just need to get outside to experience fishing and hunting opportunities firsthand, and it’s our responsibility to give them that chance as often as we can. The simple memories that kids make from their outdoor experiences will ensure that as long as the next generation loves fishing, like we do, our waters will be left in much better hands.

It’s also our responsibility to guarantee healthy fish populations for that next generation of anglers. And one of the best ways to achieve that in Atlantic and Gulf waters is through protecting forage fish like menhaden.

Find more information about the ecological and recreational importance of menhaden, herring, and other forage fish and what we can do to support them on TRCP’s Forage Fish Recovery Page.

Austin Evans is TRCP’s 2025 marine fisheries intern.