NORFOLK, Va. (AP)- The Trump Administration is threatening to effectively ban a company that makes fish oil pills from fishing in the Chesapeake Bay over mounting concerns from regulators, governors and environmental groups about overfishing.
Earlier this year, the company Omega Protein exceeded the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission harvest recommendations in the bay by more than 30% on a bony and oily fish called Atlantic menhaden.
The species is ground up and used in anything from health supplements rich with omega-3 fatty acids to high-end dog food. But the fish is also food for striped bass, humpback whales and other animals in the nation’s largest estuary.
In a letter released Thursday, the U.S. Department of Commerce agreed with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission that the species is a vital link in the Chesapeake Bay’s food chain.
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