Fishing for Trouble

One of the worst examples of factory fishing is taking place in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay. A small fish called the menhaden, described by some scientists as “the most important fish in the sea,” is being systematically targeted by the Omega Protein corporation.

Nearly every ocean predator feeds on menhaden at some point, and many species – including some whales and popular sport fish like striped bass – eat a LOT of them.  Fishermen up and down the East Coast have begun expressing concern that there may not be enough menhaden left to supply the rest of the food chain anymore.

Menhaden also play a critical role as filter-feeders in the Chesapeake Bay, where water pollution from farm and sewage runoff creates dead zones – places where plankton blooms choke off all oxygen in the water and kill surrounding wildlife. Healthy menhaden populations would significantly improve water quality.  

Go Fish?

Menhaden play such a critical role in the ecosystem that it’s hard to imagine not protecting them. But believe it or not, there are no limits to the amount of menhaden that can be taken from U.S. waters each year. That's why Greenpeace is calling for a moratorium on factory fishing of the menhaden. More than 15,000 Greenpeace activists have written letters and testified at hearings to support our efforts.

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