Osprey came back from the brink once. Now chicks are dying in nests, and some blame overfishing.

Bryan Watts, director of the Center for Conservation Biology, reports alarming declines in osprey chicks in the Chesapeake Bay, attributing these failures to a lack of menhaden, a key fish in their diet. Ospreys require an average of 1. 15 chicks per year to maintain stable populations, but current reproduction rates are below half that in some areas. The fishing industry, led by companies like Omega Protein, contests this assertion, claiming that overfishing is not responsible for the osprey's decline. Menhaden, also known as pogies or bunkers, are essential for young ospreys due to their high nutritional value.

Conservationists argue that too many menhaden have been removed from the ecosystem, jeopardizing the marine food chain. In 2023, the fishery was valued at over $200 million, highlighting menhaden's economic importance. Watts emphasizes the need for fisheries management to consider the osprey's plight if the population is to be sustained. Without action, ospreys could face a population crash reminiscent of the DDT crisis.