Speak up for starving Ospreys on Sept. 16

The Connecticut Audubon Society is asking our members and supporters to help us advocate for Ospreys at an important public hearing on Atlantic menhaden on Wednesday, Sept. 16.

 

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is considering changes to the amount of menhaden that can be commercially harvested from the Chesapeake Bay.

 

Connecticut Audubon is urging the commission to reduce the fishery cap by 50% to help ensure enough menhaden remain available for Ospreys and other wildlife.

 

There are several ways to make your voice heard. Here’s how:

 

Register for the public hearing

 

Join us in speaking out, either in person or virtually, on Wednesday, Sept. 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. The joint Connecticut and New York hearing will be held online and at the NYSDEC Division of Marine Resources at 123 Kings Park Blvd. in Kings Park, New York.

 

Submit your comment

 

Can’t attend the hearing? Submit your comment through the commission’s online form or survey. You can also email comments@asmfc.org or mail comments to James Boyle at 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, Virginia 22201.

 

Why does this matter?

There is growing concern that Osprey populations along the Eastern seaboard are declining due to a lack of food. Last year, Connecticut Audubon’s Osprey Nation recorded its lowest breeding success since the statewide community science program launched in 2014 to monitor the birds.

 

This year is looking even worse.

 

By Aug. 1, 2025, out of 706 nests with up-to-date reports, 113 had failed — about 1 in 6. In the same timeframe this year, of 691 nests with up-to-date reports, 171 have failed — roughly 1 in 4.

 

The decline at Old Lyme’s Great Island, once a former Osprey stronghold, has been particularly severe. Thirty-seven Osprey chicks fledged at Great Island in 2024. In 2025, that number decreased to 27. This year, only five chicks fledged.

 

Read more

 

Because Ospreys feed almost exclusively on fish, the Osprey Nation community science program serves as an early-warning system for the health of Connecticut’s waters and the abundance of prey species like Atlantic menhaden.

 

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which sets the ceiling for East Coast states on the number of fish that can be caught commercially, will consider final action on the proposed changes at its annual meeting in November.

 

Please join us on Sept. 16 and urge the commission to reduce the Chesapeake Bay menhaden fishery cap by 50%. If you cannot attend the hearing, submit a comment by Oct. 9.

 

Thank you for helping us speak up for Connecticut’s Ospreys!