Chris Dollar: Poor reproduction among the iconic osprey is latest Chesapeake Bay concern

If the health challenges in the Chesapeake Bay aren’t severe enough, we now have to address another issue: the legendary Osprey’s poor reproductive performance.

Researchers at the College of William and Mary’s Center for Conservation Biology documented the highest rate of osprey nest failures ever recorded in the lower Chesapeake Bay during the 2023 breeding season.

Only 17 out of 167 nests monitored at Mobjack Bay this spring gave birth to young, giving a reproduction rate of 0.13 young per pair. This shockingly low production is below what was recorded decades ago at the height of the DDT era.

Researchers say osprey pairs should give birth to 1.15 cubs to maintain the population.

“In Mobjack Bay, young ospreys are starving in their nests because decades of overfishing of the Menhaden have led to local impoverishment,” said Dr. Bryan Watts, director of the Center for Conservation Biology. “Although ospreys feed on other fish species in the lower Chesapeake Bay, none of these species offer comparable nutrient levels.”

In a July 5 blog post, Dr. Watts notes that the underlying cause of reproductive disorders in Mobjack Bay has shifted from the DDT era to the present. In 1972, the hatch rate of the eggs was 36.5 percent. The gains in productivity from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s were due to an improvement in hatchability as the population of DDT recovered.

In the late 1980s the hatch rate was over 90% and in 2006 it was almost 95%. The decline in productivity after 1985 was due to young starving after hatching in nests, Watts wrote.

“Current fish supply is not high enough for the osprey to reproduce sustainably… Their young are starving in the nest — most within the first week of hatching,” Watts said.

What’s not shocking is why. It is very likely that the local exhaustion that is harming ospreys is caused by omega protein, the last remaining industrial harvester. Virginia remains the only state on the entire East Coast that still allows this factory-style reduction fishery.

Yes, this is the very same foreign-owned company responsible for last summer’s net leaks that littered popular East Coast beaches, wiped out thousands of ecologically valuable menhaden and killed at least 12,000 pounds of red drumsticks, most of which were breeding animals weighing 30 to 50 pounds.

Capt. Mike Ostrander, owner and operator of a company that offers fishing trips and eco-tours on the James River, wrote a letter that was sent to state and federal fisheries managers.

“The resurgence of ospreys in recent decades, after they were nearly extinct due to DDT, is one of America’s great wildlife success stories,” wrote Ostrander, who runs the Richmond-based company Discover the James.

“But researchers have found evidence that ospreys in the lower Chesapeake Bay are once again in trouble, this time due to insufficient supplies of menhaden, an important forage fish. These majestic birds need our help.”

Aug 1 – Dec 10: Rockfish season in summer and fall. Anglers are allowed to keep one striped bass of at least 19 inches per person per day, except on charter trips. Then you can keep two rockfish per person per day if the captain is registered in the DNR’s FACTS electronic reporting system.

Jul 31 – Aug 3: ASMFC Summer Meeting, Arlington, Virginia. Details at asmfc.org.

7th-11th August: White Marlin Open, 50th Anniversary of the world’s largest and richest billfish tournament. Ocean City, Md.

August 19th: Youth Fishing Derby sponsored by Kent Island Fishermen, Inc. and the Kent Island Estates Community Association to commemorate Jon Bupp. Romancoke Pier on Kent Island. Age groups: 3-5, 6-10 and 11-16. All participants must be accompanied by one parent of an adult. Registration at 8.00 am, fishing from 9.00 am to 11.00 am, 11.30 am to 1.00 pm. Prizes and refreshments at the Kent Island American Legion #278.

21st September: Chesapeake Perspective “Habitat Preservation and Restoration” features industry leaders from the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic region. Ask questions during the live stream via Facebook on YouTube. 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Presented by Lenny Rudow from FishTalk. Register for free at fishtalkmag.com/chesapeake-perspective.

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