Forage fish, a critical food source for other species, are in decline up and down the Eastern Seaboard but menhaden decline in Maryland waters has advocates sounding the alarm. Atlantic menhaden are not considered overfished along the entire coast but the sizable allocation given to harvesters in Virginia waters has affected the population in the upper Chesapeake Bay. Inadequate forage threatens species including ospreys and predatory fish, the decline of which in turn affects the sport fishing industry. Menhaden are also a critical bait fish for the Maryland blue crab fishery. To read the rest of this story, visit this link:
