Environmental groups and large-scale fishing operations have sparred for years on how to manage Atlantic menhaden, a small but important fish in the East Coast ecosystem. Now, a regional regulatory body has made the decision to cut the amount of menhaden that can be caught next year.

On Tuesday, the Atlantic States Fisheries Commission’s menhaden board voted 16-2 to reduce the amount of menhaden that can be caught by 20% in 2026. Virginia and Pennsylvania were the only two states opposed. The other 14 states, plus NOAA Fisheries and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, voted to approve.

Hundreds of public comments were submitted on the issue, and there was considerable back-and-forth between environmental groups and fisheries. Members of the menhaden industry said the Chesapeake Bay Foundat

See Full Page