Colorado’s Big Game Habitat: Progress Made, Work Still to Do

November 20, 2025

Recap highlights what’s possible when agencies collaborate – and what the state can do in 2026 to conserve big game migration corridors, seasonal habitats, and the hunting traditions they support.

As we approach another Colorado legislative session, the TRCP is working to identify the most promising pathways for continued conservation and management of important big game habitat to ensure quality hunting opportunities continue for generations. Governor Polis, and several state agencies under his leadership, have made habitat conservation a priority during his time in office. In the final year of this administration, there are a few notable opportunities to cement meaningful conservation gains for the future.

Colorado-Led Advances

Staff from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) led the charge on many of the hard-won conservation accomplishments of the past four years, and we want to recognize and celebrate these collaborative successes.

The most noteworthy advances include CPW’s expanded big game migration mapping work, the release of CPW’s 2024 Habitat Conservation and Connectivity Plan, CDOT’s planning and construction of new wildlife crossing infrastructure across the state, USFS’ management to conserve big game populations in the 2024 GMUG National Forests plan update, and the 2024 completion of BLM’s Resource Management Plan Amendment for Big Game Habitat Conservation for Oil and Gas Management. The TRCP supports science-based decision making, and having reliable, up-to-date information and planning tools underpinning agencies’ and elected officials’ actions is essential.

Because wildlife habitat overlaps all land management jurisdictions in Colorado, achieving conservation success is dependent on other state agencies, federal agencies, and local governments also utilizing CPW’s big game migration and habitat maps and science-based best management practices to inform their land use and development decisions.

Timely Conservation Opportunities

To ensure lasting conservation benefits from this work, decision-makers could endorse targeted changes to select state, local, and federal policies to keep tens of thousands of acres of the most important seasonal deer, elk, bighorn sheep, and pronghorn habitats intact. For hunters, these safeguards would help sustain healthy herds and the opportunities, traditions, and access that depend on them. In a joint report from the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and Colorado Department of Transportation, the 2021 Colorado Big Game Policy Report identified pressing threats to Colorado’s big game populations and recommended policy solutions to address and alleviate the documented threats.

For example, if state and federal agencies and local governments ensure that new development for energy generation, energy transmission, and outdoor recreation infrastructure avoids the most sensitive big game habitats when possible, that will directly conserve wildlife populations and the open spaces that Coloradans love, while still allowing for important development projects to be built in suitable places. Additionally, allocating funding for wildlife crossing projects would reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and facilitate wildlife movement across Colorado’s busy highways.

The majority of Coloradans surveyed in the 2025 Conservation in the West Poll believe that fish and wildlife habitat loss and population declines, and the loss of natural areas, are an extremely or very serious problem. And in 2024, CDOT responded to 3,777 crashes involving wildlife, so addressing the needs highlighted above would greatly benefit all Colorado motorists, wildlife populations, and future hunting opportunities.

“Successful conservation of big game migration corridors and seasonal habitats requires collaboration between many different people, and it requires deliberate planning and funding,” said Liz Rose, Colorado program manager for the TRCP. “There is a lot to celebrate when it comes to big game conservation in Colorado, and there are still exciting, meaningful opportunities to capitalize on that could alleviate our most pressing, current threats.”

Informed, Intentional Planning, and Collective Will

Coloradans value wildlife, natural open spaces, and strong economies, and the state can set the bar high to advance conservation, recreation, industrial, and residential development needs for the future. We aren’t creating more habitat, but there are promising opportunities to ensure we conserve what remains. TRCP, alongside our great partners in Colorado, continues to urge state, federal, and local government decision makers to incorporate science-based best practices and Big Game Policy Report recommendations into their planning, management, and development policies. For hunters, anglers, and conservation-minded Coloradans, these kinds of policy changes would directly benefit big game herds and the future of the outdoor traditions they cherish.

Together, we must build the collective political will to steer development to locations where adverse impacts to Colorado’s iconic wildlife herds and citizens will be lower, and to manage the timing of land development and use to reduce impacts. Colorado has and will continue to prove that it is possible, beneficial, and popular to do so.

Top photo: Josh Metten

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by: Jaclyn Lunaas

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

Fact or Fiction: Debunking Gulf Menhaden Industry’s Deceptive Claims

The menhaden reduction industry has frequently and publicly tried to justify its Gulf harvest levels, destructive practices, and fishery management decisions in its favor; here TRCP breaks down its misleading claims

Last week, we posted a similar blog focused on misinformation coming from the menhaden industry on the Atlantic. In this blog, we’ll focus on misinformation peddled by the industry in the Gulf.

The menhaden reduction industry has benefitted from recent decisions affecting fisheries management on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts – with science-based cuts to catch quota being ignored and buffers that protect nearshore habitat and reduce bycatch slated for reduction. These decisions were guided by politics much more than science or public support. And that’s a problem, because menhaden are critically important bait fish that are preyed on by gamefish like redfish and tarpon, and sportfish like speckled trout, jacks, mackerel, and striped bass and serve as a necessary foundation for healthy ecosystems.

Despite these discouraging outcomes, the menhaden industry is seeking public sympathy in interviews with the media and in public hearings, complaining about financial woes and potential industry job cuts while boasting that they are committed to sustainable fisheries and healthy ecosystems. But is any of that actually true?

Recreational anglers and conservationists need to stay informed of the facts in the ongoing debate around menhaden management in the Atlantic and Gulf. Understanding complex fisheries management concepts is also important even when just assessing menhaden reduction industry-generated talking points in the “news” (which often isn’t news at all, as 2025 has seen a landslide of paid placements or “sponsored content,” and claims unvetted by journalists that appear on well-known news websites with only small disclaimers attached).

These misrepresentations matter because they’re already influencing management choices. One of the most consequential – and concerning – developments is happening right now in Louisiana.

Louisiana Moves to Allow Near-Shore Industrial Fishing

Two weeks ago, under industry pressure, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) voted to proceed with a Notice of Intent to reduce an existing half-mile buffer zone preventing industrial menhaden fishing near Louisiana’s coast to just a quarter-mile in most locations. This decision disregarded data that show the half-mile buffer is preventing fish kills that waste hundreds of thousands of menhaden (more commonly called “pogies” in the Gulf) as well as thousands of redfish and other pogy predators annually. It also largely ignored a recent study that showed industry bycatch of redfish and other important gamefish species is more likely in shallower, near-shore waters.

Below are menhaden reduction industry claims we’ve seen in the media and/or in public meetings recently that require clarification.

Industry Propaganda in the Gulf

Industry Claim (from LWFC meeting on Nov. 6): “The current buffer zone is cutting profits and workers’ jobs are at risk. Our fleet can’t catch enough fish elsewhere besides the area within a half-mile from shore to make enough money to maintain our financial performance.“

This claim is blatantly false, according to NOAA Fisheries data.

The menhaden industry has not provided concrete economic evidence for why the half-mile buffers should be reduced. They caught essentially the same number of fish in 2024 and 2025 while the buffers were in place as they did in 2020 and 2021 without the buffers. Further, since 2024, the value of their menhaden landings has actually increased by $60 million. And, in 2025 before even counting October’s harvest, the industry has already exceeded its 2024 catch by 93 million pounds.

The industry is not only clearly catching plenty of fish, since they weren’t complaining about having to cut jobs in 2020 and 2021, they are also increasing their total revenue as the value of each fish caught is higher than ever.

The industry is allowed to fish anywhere else besides inside the small buffer zone within a half-mile from shore (and a wider buffer of 1-3-miles in a few small areas off public beaches). Not only do they have full access to every other expanse of water in the Gulf and most areas inside Breton and Chandeleur Sounds besides this tiny, fragile nearshore area, but they have no limit to how many fish they can catch each year. Logic would dictate that they should be able to catch plenty of fish elsewhere, and that implying that the strip of area between ¼ and ½ mile from shore will make or break their financial performance is a sign of greed rather than need.

Industry Claim: “The results of a 2024 bycatch study funded by Louisiana ‘reaffirm what decades of science have consistently shown: Louisiana’s Gulf menhaden fishery is sustainable, selective, and not a threat to red drum populations.’”

This claim is short-sighted.

While the industry catches fewer non-target species than the maximum legal bycatch rate of 5 percent by weight, they are still catching more than 146 million fish as bycatch annually, according to the 2024 data, including more than 30,000 redfish (22,000 of which are spawning size, which is illegal for all Louisiana anglers).

In the areas where industry wants to roll back the buffers, redfish bycatch is highest during the spawning season from August-October, with up to 50 percent of the female redfish caught as bycatch actively spawning. The loss of redfish spawning potential to the state with even less protection in those areas could be very detrimental to overall redfish numbers as Louisiana tries to increase the redfish populations coast-wide.

In addition, the pogy industry kills 240,000-plus speckled trout , 81 million croaker, 25 million white trout, and 12 million spot each year. These are species not just sought by recreational anglers but also forage species that Louisiana predators rely on. So, the menhaden industry not only impacts the menhaden population itself, but populations of many other forage species critical to the ecosystem.

Industry Claim: “The fishery harvests less than 2 percent of the total Gulf menhaden biomass – helping to maintain ecological balance while preserving a key food source for marine predators.”

This claim does not tell the full story.

This assertion misrepresents what “total biomass” actually means and how fishing impacts the menhaden population. This claim is relevant for all ages of menhaden — from juveniles to spawning-capable adults — but the industry targets adult fish. If you consider how much of the spawning stock is removed each year, rather than total biomass, it becomes clear that the industry harvests a much higher percentage of the adult menhaden population.

In fact, based on the 2024 Gulf menhaden stock assessment, between 2013-2023 the industry removed between 12-27 percent of the age-1+ biomass, and between 36-70 percent of the age-2+ biomass. Gulf menhaden don’t fully mature for two years, but nearly a quarter of the annual catch also includes fish that have escaped the marsh nursery grounds but have not yet spawned. Also, 70 percent of the harvest for the entire Gulf comes from Louisiana state waters. That level of localized depletion has not been studied to analyze its effects.

Comparing menhaden harvest to total biomass including fish less than one year old underestimates the pressure the fishery puts on the harvestable stock. This downplays the true ecological impact of the fishery because it ignores age structure, recruitment, and the proportion of adult fish removed from the population each year.

Next Steps

We know fisheries science and management definitions, concepts, and outcomes can be hard for anyone to understand, making it difficult to determine the best decisions for fisheries we care about. We encourage you to reach out to TRCP if any fisheries jargon ever needs to be better explained to help protect menhaden and the sportfish that depend on them.

Stay tuned for information about how you can weigh in on upcoming menhaden management decisions to shape where the fishery is headed. Learn more about these small fish with a mighty purpose by visiting TRCP’s Forage Fish Recovery Page

Banner image courtesy David Mangum

by: Dan Morgan

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

November 19, 2025

New Report Shows Conservation Is a High-Return Investment for Communities, Jobs, and Growth

Investments to conserve, restore, and manage fish and wildlife pump billions into the economy – fueling jobs, powering the $1.1 trillion outdoor recreation industry, and rivaling major U.S. sectors.

A new report titled, “Conservation Economy in America: A Snapshot of Total Fish and Wildlife-Associated Direct Investments and Economic Contributions,” reveals that fish and wildlife conservation generates substantial economic benefits. Federal, state, local, and nonprofit contributions combined contributed $115.8 billion in total economic activity and supported over 575,000 jobs nationwide. Leading conservation organizations across the country applauded the findings, underscoring the report’s importance for America’s economy, communities, and natural resources.

“Conservation is an investment in America’s future and the bedrock of economic growth in communities nationwide,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “This report makes clear that the principles of stewardship and collaboration that built our nation’s conservation legacy continue to drive prosperity today. By supporting proven programs that restore habitat, enhance resilience, and expand access, Congress and the Administration can deliver lasting returns for people, wildlife, and local economies alike.”

The report finds that $55.3 billion in direct spending on conservation – including habitat restoration, fish and wildlife management, and expanded public access – forms the foundation of the nation’s $1.1 trillion outdoor recreation economy. These conservation investments generate powerful economic returns, adding $76.6 billion to the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and $16.3 billion in tax revenues for state, local, and federal governments. Simply put, the outdoor recreation economy doesn’t happen without conservation – its contributions are the bedrock upon which all outdoor recreation depends.

“Hunting and fishing alone contribute nearly $400 billion annually to the United States economy, and sound financial investments into conservation are the backbone of our uniquely American sporting traditions and this important sector of the economy,” said Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation President and CEO Jeff Crane. “Investments into conservation not only bolster fish, wildlife, and their habitats, but they also strengthen hunting and fishing opportunities for sportsmen and women across the nation, a win-win for our economy and our natural resources.”

The federal government was the leading source of conservation investments, accounting for approximately 48% of all spending. Its share, however, has been declining, even as state and local governments now provide 45% of spending – reflecting a shrinking portion of federal contributions to total conservation funding.

Together, these investments generated tax revenues on par with the video game industry – underscoring conservation’s powerful return for communities and the economy alike, while simultaneously preserving biodiversity and strengthening long-term growth.

Read the full report HERE.

What They’re Saying

“This report is a crystal-clear illustration that conservation investments stimulate the economy, from Wall Street to Main Street,” explained Marilyn Vetter, President & CEO of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. “These numbers tell the story of the conservation industry’s exponential effectiveness at turning each dollar into an economic ripple large enough to amplify our nation’s GDP. Just as important are the on-the-ground dividends of these investments, the habitat, wildlife, and water that benefit us all—hunters, anglers, families, and communities.”

“Theodore Roosevelt once proclaimed, ‘There can be no greater issue than that of conservation in this country,” said Gray N. Thornton, president and CEO of the Wild Sheep Foundation. “This captures the essence of Roosevelt’s commitment to conservation, emphasizing both the environmental challenges of his time and the timeless relevance of his vision. He recognized that human activities threatened natural resources, and he advocated for their responsible management to ensure that future generations could enjoy the benefits of nature. Today, as the report highlights, conservation not only serves ecological purposes but also holds significant economic value. The sustainable use of natural resources can support economies while preserving the environment, reflecting Roosevelt’s original intent to protect wild lands and wildlife for the enjoyment of all. This dual focus on ecological integrity and economic prosperity underlines the importance of effective conservation efforts in contemporary society.”

“For the many Americans who have experienced the life-changing power of the outdoors, the conservation of our country’s wildlife and wild places is self-evidently one of the greatest aspects of our nation,” said Jason Burckhalter, National Wild Turkey Federation co-CEO. “This report emphasizes how conservation efforts bolster our beloved traditions and enrich our experiences outside and it illustrates how our conservation efforts create a powerful engine for our nation’s economy. It is imperative that our elected officials see both the importance of investing in conservation, from our vital natural resources to our nation’s economy. We are excited to collaboratively share the insights from the new report with our conservation partners and make meaningful impacts for future generations.”  

“When we save wildlife, we save ourselves. This important report affirms how wildlife conservation not only helps people thrive, but also grows local economies and creates jobs in communities across the country,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “This report is a clarion call for Congress and the White House that investing dedicated funding for state, Tribal, and territorial wildlife conservation will yield immense returns for taxpayers and future generations alike.”

“America’s strong conservation economy is a testament to the contributions from hunters, anglers, and outdoorsmen and women across the country,” said Ducks Unlimited CEO Adam Putnam. “This report highlights what we’ve known for years – supporting the conservation of wildlife habitat is an incredible return on investment for our communities. With every Duck Stamp sold, every hunting or fishing license purchased, and every outfitter patronized, sportsmen and women are doing their part to support America’s natural places and rural economies, and we hope lawmakers see the immense value in strengthening these investments at all levels of government.”

“The recreation economy remains a foundational driver of caring for the health and productivity of our family forests,” said Rita Hite, president & CEO of the American Forest Foundation. “This report highlights both the importance and meaningful impact of public and private funding in our woodlands. When we invest in family lands through recreation, we are investing in clean air and water, more biodiversity, improved wildlife habitat, and bolstering rural economies.”

“Conservation is a core American value,” said Desiree Sorenson-Groves, President and CEO of the National Wildlife Refuge Association. “As a nation, we value our public lands and shared wildlife heritage as a tenant of who we are as a people and this report shows that our shared investment in conservation isn’t just a nice thing to do, it is an essential economic driver for Americans. Conservation paves the way for the activation of the natural resource economy in all parts of our nation from rural communities to urban cities and this report highlights how investments pay dividends now and into the future.”

“Fish and wildlife are among our nation’s most valuable resources, along with clean air, water, healthy forests and lands that support all of us,” said Paul Johansen, Chief of the Wildlife Resources Section of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and President of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. “State agencies have a primary responsibility for conserving our treasured natural resources. This report clearly illustrates that states, in collaboration with their federal, tribal, and conservation partners, deliver fish and wildlife conservation to our citizens with an impressive return on investment that generates positive impacts felt throughout the larger economy.” 

“When we discuss funding for conservation programs, it’s important that we think of these programs as investments for the future – the future of clean water, clean air, outdoor recreation, and abundant fish and wildlife. However, this report confirms that these conservation programs are also literal financial investments that help everyone’s bottom line, beyond the outdoor recreation industry and everyone it employs, directly or indirectly,” said Jeff Kopaska, Executive Director of the American Fisheries Society. “We saw this with the establishment of the Sport Fish Restoration Program 75 years ago. A small percentage of spending on fishing gear and boating fuel is directed towards fisheries restoration, research, and conservation, creating a self-sustaining cycle that builds up the sport fishing industry, along with providing more recreational opportunities and of course, benefitting our fish populations.”

by: Jaclyn Lunaas

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

November 13, 2025

Fact or Fiction: Debunking Atlantic Menhaden Industry’s Deceptive Claims

The menhaden reduction industry has frequently and publicly tried to justify its harvest levels, destructive practices, and fishery management decisions in its favor; here TRCP breaks down its misleading claims

The menhaden reduction industry should by all counts be very happy with the outcome of recent decisions affecting fisheries management on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts – with science-based cuts to catch quota being ignored and buffers that protect nearshore habitat and reduce bycatch slated for reduction. Meanwhile, anglers and conservation advocates continue to scratch and shake their heads at decisions guided by politics much more than science. After all, nutrient-dense menhaden play a central role in marine food webs as baitfish providing an essential food source for economically important sportfish like striped bass, redfish, tarpon, and bluefin tuna, as well as predators like whales and ospreys.

Despite these discouraging outcomes, the menhaden industry is seeking public sympathy. In interviews with the media and in public hearings, its representatives say they have been and will continue to suffer financially, that they could face job cuts, and that they are committed to sustainable fisheries and healthy ecosystems. But is any of that actually true?

As recreational anglers and conservationists, it’s important that we all stay well informed of the facts when engaging in the ongoing debate around menhaden management in the Atlantic and Gulf. Understanding complex fisheries management concepts is also important even when just assessing menhaden reduction industry-generated talking points in the “news” (which often isn’t news at all, as 2025 has seen a landslide of paid placements, and claims unvetted by journalists, that appear on well-known news websites with only small disclaimers attached).

In this blog, we’ll focus on misinformation peddled by the industry on the Atlantic front. Next week, we’ll offer a similar post that focuses on the Gulf.

Chris Crippen/Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Recent Vote on Atlantic Menhaden Ignores Science

As we reported two weeks ago, the Menhaden Management Board of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) failed to cut the 2026 Atlantic menhaden quota by nearly enough to acknowledge the latest science showing that the menhaden population is far lower than previously estimated. Instead of the more than 50 percent cut necessary to rebuild the Atlantic striped bass population and support menhaden’s ecosystem role, only a 20 percent quota cut was made – which will not lower coastwide harvest for the menhaden reduction industry at all, based on 2024 commercial landings.

Below are a few major claims that we’ve seen in the media recently that deserve a serious second look.

Industry Propaganda in the Atlantic

Industry Claim: “Maintaining the status quo or making, at most, a modest, precautionary trim is consistent with risk policy; in particular, a reduction on the order of 10% eliminates overfishing risk in 2026 and remains extremely low if carried forward, so deeper cuts are not supported by the risk framework.”

This claim doesn’t tell the real story.

Within the Atlantic menhaden management framework, the ASMFC uses an ecosystem-based “fishing mortality threshold” to define whether menhaden are undergoing overfishing or not. There is a range of fishing pressure for menhaden between an ecosystem-based “target” and threshold which the Menhaden Management Board has the ability to choose from, each option representing various levels of risk for overfishing. The ecosystem-based target is just what you’d imagine, a target or best-case scenario for fishing mortality, that won’t remove too many fish from the water. The threshold, on the other hand, represents the highest level of fishing mortality that the Board can allow before the fishery is considered to be undergoing “overfishing,” thus warranting corrective action.
A fishing mortality rate below the ecosystem-based target would be the most precautionary scenario, where we can be pretty sure, based on the science available, that we have enough menhaden in the water to feed striped bass and other predators. ASMFC assumed we were at this level based on the previous science, but with this new stock assessment, realized that they erred in their estimations and that fishing mortality was/is above the target.
A fishing rate above the target, but below the threshold, is a riskier scenario. This is where there are still menhaden being left in the water for predators, but not enough to support striped bass if they were at a rebuilt biomass. This level is where we have previously been fishing at, based on the new stock assessment update, and where the 2026 fishing level will be as well. So, not enough for striped bass if they were at their full biomass target.
Only a fishing rate above the threshold is considered “overfishing,” and would warrant Board action to decrease menhaden fishing pressure. Even keeping the same coastwide quota that we’ve had for the past 3 years in 2026 would present essentially zero risk of crossing the threshold, so the Board is not worried about overfishing from a technical standpoint. Where the rubber meets the road is that we now know that even with the recent 20 percent quota decrease, more menhaden will be taken out of the water than should be left to support striped bass populations as they rebuild over the next few years.
If menhaden harvest ever reaches its fishing mortality threshold, striped bass numbers will fall even more, even if striped bass themselves continue to be fished at or below their own mortality target. While this scenario is not likely with a 20 percent quota cut, which is what the industry touts, the contradiction of minimal conservation measures made for menhaden – a food source critical for striped bass – with the extreme striped bass management measures anglers have made sacrifices for, for years now, is alarming.

Industry Claim: “There will likely be some operational adjustments required at our Reedville [Virginia menhaden processing and reduction fleet base] facility to comply with a 20 percent harvest reduction.”

This claim is conspicuously misleading.

Omega Protein/Ocean Harvesters will not feel the hit of this quota reduction, while other Atlantic states with menhaden bait fisheries will. The move to reduce the coastwide quota by 20 percent was not based on science or the ASMFC’s ecosystem-based framework, but was a number originally put forward by the ASMFC’s Virginia delegation, because it would not materially impact the Commonwealth’s landings.
The reality is the reduction industry has not been able to meet their full quota in years, and is catching around 80 percent of their current allocation (in other words, 20 percent less than the current quota, or the full amount of the new quota set for 2026). Likely, the only reason Virginia representatives were against the measure in the final vote was because it was a one-year decision, rather than one that would have given the reduction industry three years of fishing at this set quota.
So the new quota will not significantly cut coastwide harvest or Virginia’s harvest, but where the cuts will actually be felt is by the states with active bait fisheries in the north, such as in Maine, who have to settle for the leftovers after the reduction industry (one company) gets nearly 70 precent of the allowable menhaden catch.
The industry frequently makes claims that any impacts to their ability to catch menhaden will cost jobs. But what wasn’t taken into consideration by the Board was that striped bass anglers have taken significant cuts to their striper access for many years now – which hurts jobs in the charter fishing, bait/tackle, tourism, and boating industries. Those sacrifices seem in vain now, since no matter what happens with striped bass catch, we aren’t leaving enough forage in the water for stripers to reach their biomass target by 2029.

Industry Claim: “We support moving forward with targeted new Bay science to guide any future Chesapeake Bay-specific decisions, so that upcoming choices are grounded in robust, transparent analysis.”

This claim is hypocritical on its face.

For the past three years, Omega Protein/Ocean Harvesters has actively lobbied against efforts in Virginia to fund science projects that would guide menhaden management in the Bay. These are projects that they were involved in developing with other stakeholder groups and state scientists from the very beginning.
Bay-specific menhaden management should be grounded in science and transparency, but the industry is clearly only interested in biased science to benefit their own agenda, because not so coincidentally, just before this past ASMFC meeting, the industry’s self-funded research group announced its own project to determine the scientific basis for their Bay fishing cap, rather than rely on an publicly funded study. Sound fishy to you?
The 2025 stock assessment update showed very clearly that cuts to the coastwide menhaden quota were necessary moving forward to maintain the integrity of the ecosystem-based framework that the industry claims it supports. In 2022, when the science then indicated a quota increase was possible, the industry was fully on board with using the science to their advantage to be able to catch more fish. Now, when the science suggests a major quota reduction is in order, the industry decided it didn’t want to follow the science anymore.

Next Steps

Fisheries science and management definitions, concepts, and outcomes can be hard for anyone to understand. That makes it that much more difficult to determine if decisions that can affect fisheries we care about are good ones, or bad. We hope this breakdown of the facts has been helpful and encourage you to reach out to TRCP if there’s anything else we need to focus on to best arm you with the knowledge necessary to help protect menhaden and the sportfish you care about.

Stay tuned for a similar blog next week on misinformation coming from the Gulf menhaden industry, and for information about how you can weigh in on recent menhaden management decisions and shape where the fishery is headed.

Banner image courtesy Joanna Steidle

by: Jim Kauffman

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

November 12, 2025

Mussel Restoration Effort Indicates Improved Water Quality in Pennsylvania Waterway

The freshwater mollusks, along with eels, are being reintroduced in a branch of the Susquehanna River upstream of the Chesapeake Bay

When my dad attended college in 1975, he could see the West Branch of the Susquehanna from his dorm window. But he never fished it – because there were no fish to catch. The river had been degraded to the point where it could barely support aquatic life. In fact, a Pennsylvania stream map I have on the wall from 1958 actually shows this section of the river with a skull and crossbones along its reaches.

Fast forward to 2025 and it’s a different story. Anglers float the West Branch chasing smallmouth bass, walleye, channel cats, panfish, and more. Eagles and ospreys are common, and elk regularly wade its waters. And now, an initiative to restore American eels and freshwater mussels is underway because the water quality has improved enough to justify the effort. The river’s change in fortune is a direct result of water quality standards and investments in clean water initiatives.

Freshwater mussels in North America were once much more common and widespread than they are today. Historic water-quality impacts and dam construction have restricted their distribution and populations, with many disappearing completely from historic watersheds. As water quality improves, state agencies are working to restore freshwater mussel species and the fish hosts that they require for reproduction. Here in Pennsylvania, an effort is underway to do just that in sections of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River; waters which ultimately find their way to the Chesapeake Bay.

Early Efforts Show Promise

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Lock Haven University, and other partners are leading the restoration effort, funded in part by a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Chesapeake WILD grant. To determine if the water quality is suitable for mussel reintroduction, the PFBC and WPC have housed juvenile mussels in protective “silos” in a section of the West Branch. The mussel silos are placed within the river and periodically removed to monitor their survival and growth. PFBC biologists have already determined that the water quality is now suitable for further mussel reintroduction, due to the successful survival and growth of the juvenile mussels in these silos.

Unfortunately, actual recolonization of mussels has not yet occurred in many places. Multiple downstream dams impact upstream movement of aquatic organisms, including the American eels that host the larvae of eastern elliptio mussels. When these mussels reproduce, their young develop into larvae, called ”glochidia,” and disperse throughout the water. It is here that the glochidia attach to the gills of a host fish where they develop into miniature mussels. The mussels later release from the fish and find a home in the stream sediment, where they grow and can live for decades.

Importance of In-Tandem Eel Reintroduction

Eastern elliptios rely on only a handful of fish species to reproduce, with American eels as their primary host. While they can reproduce using other fish species, reproduction through eels as their host has been shown to be the most productive. With the presence of dams along the Susquehanna blocking their migration route, however, eel numbers in many tributaries have declined, leading to a corresponding decline in elliptio reproduction.

To restore this historic relationship in the West Branch, scientists and students at LHU are essentially infesting eels with elliptio larvae. Eels are captured in the lower Susquehanna, transferred to a lab at the university, and placed in tanks that contain glochidia from mussel broodstock collected from beds farther downstream. Once the glochidia attach to the eels, they are transported to sections of the river upstream of existing dams and released. The intent is for the juvenile mussels to mimic natural processes and develop on the eels before dropping off into the river, creating new populations of mussels. Another project partner, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, is currently refining techniques for mussel rearing that will allow their hatchery to produce tens of thousands of viable glochidia from only a handful of adult mussels.

On the Right Track

Once a dead zone, the West Branch of the Susquehanna River is now a destination sport fishery, because of its remoteness, scenery, access, and smallmouth bass populations. Various conservation efforts – including mine and coal remediation, reforestation, riparian buffer programs, stream restoration, and water quality policy – have led to increased health of the river. The presence of mussels will restore another component of this aquatic ecosystem, benefiting gamefish species and enhancing angling opportunities. Protections and funding for water quality initiatives in Pennsylvania like this are critical for aquatic organisms, anglers, and rural economies that all benefit from clean water.

Learn more about how TRCP supports policy change for healthy habitat and clean water.

All images courtesy Jim Kauffman