Jaclyn Lunaas and Chris Macaluso | Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership | Ep. 1032

One company owned by Canada’s Cooke Inc. is catching about 70% of all the Atlantic menhaden that can legally be harvested. The fish we love to chase depend on that bait to survive: striped bass, tarpon, redfish, cobia, king mackerel, and bluefin tuna all rely on menhaden, and so do ospreys and whales. I sat down with Chris Macaluso and Jaclyn Lunaas of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) to find out how this works. They explain how Virginia ended up with 75% of the coast-wide quota, and how a leasing loophole lets a foreign-owned company fish under an American flag. We also cover the Louisiana bycatch study, which estimated that 140 to 160 million additional fish are killed in a single Gulf season, including about 30,000 redfish and 250,000 speckled trout. We get into the science too. Regulators found that the Atlantic menhaden population had been overestimated by about 40%. The science called for a cut of more than 50%, but the commission took only a 20% cut for 2026. In the Gulf, Louisiana and Mississippi have no catch limits at all. Most importantly, Chris and Jaclyn explain what you can do about it, even if you never catch a striped bass in your life. Learn more and sign the petition: trcp.org/foragefishrecovery Chapters 00:00 One company is catching most of the menhaden 01:04 Meet Chris Macaluso & Jaclyn Lunaas of TRCP 05:20 Why menhaden are “the most important fish in the sea” 06:54 The reduction industry: fish meal, fish oil & pet food 09:22 Migration and the predators that follow menhaden 11:26 Pogey boats, spotter planes & the Gulf bycatch study 16:01 Warning signs in the Chesapeake Bay 20:18 Striped bass as the yardstick 22:01 The most efficient fishery there is 25:34 The ask: lower the quota and reallocate it 27:55 The 40% overestimate and the 2026 quota cut 29:59 How Virginia got 75% of the quota 33:30 Why other states banned reduction boats 37:31 The foreign-ownership loophole 40:20 The Gulf’s “Wild Wild West”: no catch limits 45:20 Ecology vs. economics and king mackerel 49:51 How do you count a bait fish? 54:58 Tarpon, redfish & the all-you-can-eat buffet 58:32 What anglers can do to help 1:02:06 Lessons from Captains for Clean Water 1:06:15 How to get involved #menhaden #stripedbass #fishingconservation #tarpon #redfish #TomRowlandPodcast