But omega 3 oil is not produced by any animal. It is a plant-derived oil. In the case of the menhaden, they get the oil from eating algae (phytoplankton), which are microscopic plants that grow in the water. They also eat zooplankton, which are also microscopic animals that also feed on phytoplankton.

Here is where it really gets important. Many of the fish that we like to eat rely on menhaden or other filter feeding fish for their food. They can’t eat algae. If menhaden fish disappear, so will other species that rely on them. Even now as the menhaden population is about 8% of historical highs, the predator fish are eating other fish; even eating the young of each others fish. When you are hungry enough you will eat what you can get. We know that fish are eating crabs.

All that fish do is eat, swim and reproduce. We don’t need for the fish to go running all over looking for food as they do now. We need the menhaden back at high levels so that the predator fish can store fat and receive omega 3 oils for healthier fish. There are other fish that have the same role as the menhaden: blueback herring, alewives, American shad and the hickory shad. But the story is the same. All of these fish are in trouble due to overfishing, habitat loss and pollution.

We need to stop the carnage of these fish being done by one company: Omega Protein based in Reedville, Virginia.

The politicians that accept money from Omega Protein should be ashamed of themselves for accepting a few dollars and a few votes to the detriment of the Chesapeake Bay. Those people who have positions to help bring back the menhaden should be ashamed because they don’t have the courage to do the right thing because they fear for their position. Those people in positions where they should have the knowledge and understandings of the importance of these fish but don’t should also be ashamed. They should know that the more menhaden we have the more fish and birds we would have. And they will be healthier without sores.

We don’t need computer models or any type systems to gauge how the menhaden are doing. If you have lived a few decades and have been around the Chesapeake Bay or its tributaries then you know how many menhaden there used to be here. When you look now you see very few schools.

It has been wonderful to see how the interest in these fish has grown over the years. I commend all those who have been working to bring the menhaden back. We can hope now that those making the decisions regarding the menhaden will see that these are ‘The Most Important Fish In The Sea.”

William Bartlett
19124 Lake Drive
Leonardtown, MD 20650
301 994 0671
wbartlett@md.metrocast.net