The recent news that menhaden firm Ocean Harvesters is adding a $9 million menhaden vessel, the 165-foot F/V Tangier Sound, to its fishing fleet is sending a message that Ocean Harvesters, Omega Protein Inc. and Canadian parent company Cooke Inc. plan on fishing in the Chesapeake Bay region into the future.
The company has been of late dodging a barrage of opponents up and down the East Coast ranging from Maryland fifth graders writing “hate mail” letters to the firm to “stop killing ospreys”; to advocates throwing blocks in nets; a jet ski running inside a net interrupting sets; a small militia of boats attempting to block sets; environmental groups alleging that overfishing of menhaden is depleting osprey and striped bass populations; and a lawsuit in a southern district of New York federal court alleging that Cooke Inc. had been illegally fishing in U.S. waters because the boats are owned by a Canadian firm. A federal judge dismissed the case in January 2025 allowing Ocean Harvesters to continue to fish.
The jet ski incident occurred Sept. 23, 2023 and brought national attention to the debate that prompted Virginia legislators to pass a “Right To Fish” law to protect menhaden crews and commercial fishing watermen from harassment.
