Advocacy
Our policy advocacy efforts aim to influence Virginia’s saltwater marine resource policy and legislation. We work closely with state fisheries managers, legislators, and partners to advocate for the conservation of our valuable fishery resources and the protection of these resources for future generations.
Education & Awareness
We are dedicated to raising awareness and fostering public engagement on the importance of preserving Virginia’s saltwater resources. Through educational campaigns and community outreach, we strive to inspire individuals to take action and be stewards of our marine environment.
Habitat & Clean Water
Building a strong community is essential to our mission. We collaborate with like-minded organizations, volunteers, and supporters to create a network that values the conservation of Virginia’s saltwater resources. Together, we can make a meaningful impact.
The Biggest Little Fish You’ve Never Seen
The public hardly knows anything about these fish since they are never seen on menus; however, they are crucial to the Chesapeake Bay and our Atlantic Coast. Like other small but critically important forage fish, menhaden play a central role in the Chesapeake Bay’s food web. In these areas, they are a keystone species because a staggering number of predators, such as striped bass, ospreys, eagles, marine mammals etc. rely on menhaden for their sustenance. This is why Virginia’s sportsmen and sportswomen are calling for Virginia’s elected officials and our Marine Resource Commissioners to change their approach to how fish like menhaden are managed in our Chesapeake Bay waters.
The main conflict in the film is between Omega Protein (owned by Cooke Seafood), and the local community of recreational fishermen and conservationists. Against this juggernaut are the local fishermen, tourist operators, charter boat captains and many others that live and work along the Bay and the Gulf. These local commercial and recreational fishermen struggle as the loss of menhaden hurts the number of game fish available to sustain the local population and the marine environment. In addition, conservation groups such as Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) and the Virginia Saltwater Sportfishing Association (VSSA) have been fighting to remove Omega from the Bay.
However, Omega Protein is fighting back by making political donations to government officials to prevent any changes. In the middle of this conflict is the state regulatory body, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC). They establish the rules for all menhaden fishing.