Why Atlantic menhaden matter: Osprey in crisis need the fish that feed the sea
Riverkeeper is calling on the regional management agency to adopt policies that let this critical forage fish thrive
November 5, 2026
David Stormer, Ph.D.
Habitat Restoration Director
Key takeaways
- Menhaden make up about 75 percent of ospreys’ diet, so when the fish are scarce, the birds go hungry.
- This year’s osprey nesting season was one of the worst on record, and it may be a sign that they and a number of other species aren’t getting enough food.
- On November 10, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission can set a coast-wide catch limit for 2027 that would keep enough menhaden in the water for wildlife and local fisheries to thrive.
- Riverkeeper supports that limit and other conservation measures that will safeguard menhaden now and into the future.
Atlantic menhaden might not be a household name, but they are one of the most important fish in the ocean. Often called “the fish that feed the sea,” menhaden are critical prey for other fish like striped bass and bluefish, as well as a variety of predators including osprey, whales, dolphins, seabirds, and countless other marine species along the Atlantic Coast.
Recent reports on the reproductive collapse of osprey from the Chesapeake Bay to New England are sounding the alarm about the health of the menhaden population, and whether there are enough to support the ecosystem that depends on this small but mighty forage fish.
Osprey are among the most familiar and beloved sights along the Atlantic Coast. Their dramatic dives for fish and towering nests above rivers, bays, and shorelines are signs of life in our estuaries. Incredibly, even with dozens of other prey fish species available, Atlantic menhaden make up approximately 75 percent of ospreys’ diet! What happens when there aren’t enough of the fish that sustain these magnificent birds?
During the 2026 breeding season, researchers documented some of the worst osprey reproductive collapses ever recorded across portions of the Atlantic Coast. In the Chesapeake Bay, Jamaica Bay, Long Island, New Jersey, and southern New England, monitoring programs reported unusually high nest failures (96 percent failure in Jamaica Bay), starving chicks, and dramatically reduced numbers of young surviving to their first flight.
These are not simply isolated setbacks for one bird species. They may be warning signs of deeper problems in the coastal food web and they underscore the importance of protecting the small but extraordinarily important fish that sustain marine and estuarine ecosystems.
While adult menhaden spend most of their lives spawning in coastal ocean waters, their young migrate into the brackish, nutrient-rich waters of the Hudson River to grow. Historically, they were found in massive schools stretching from New York Harbor all the way up past Haverstraw Bay, 35 miles north of the city. But industrial-scale fishing is killing hundreds of millions of these forage fish every year, primarily to be processed into fish meal, fish oil, and industrial feed products.
In the shadow of New York City, we have experienced in recent years what it could look like if menhaden were allowed to consistently and sustainably flourish, with jumping dolphins, splashing whales, and diving seabirds, all of which feed on the fish.
Riverkeeper refuses to jeopardize any potential progress with inadequate protections. The history of other coastal forage fish, including Atlantic herring and Atlantic mackerel, offers a cautionary lesson that species once abundant enough to support a healthy marine ecosystem can and will suffer population collapse due to overfishing. We must not allow menhaden to suffer the same fate.
On November 10, fisheries managers at the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) have an opportunity to protect the fish that feeds the ocean. Riverkeeper is urging the ASMFC to adopt necessary conservation measures that will safeguard menhaden. We support the ASMFC’s first-of-its-kind use of an approach to fisheries management that factors in the entire food web, rather than just a single species.
By accounting for Atlantic menhaden’s role as prey for Atlantic coast species that depend on it for survival, as well as meeting the needs of local fisheries, the ASMFC can help to ensure a balanced approach to Atlantic menhaden management. We strongly recommend a coast-wide catch limit for 2027 that ensures enough menhaden remain in the water across their range to maintain their critical role in the Atlantic marine ecosystem, while also supporting coastal recreational and commercial fisheries and the communities that depend on them.
Riverkeeper will continue to advocate for holistic fisheries management policies that protect species critical to the Hudson River and its watershed now and far into the future.
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