Osprey were considered a great conservation success story. Today, it is staring down precipitous declines that may spell doom for the species. As the summer breeding season unfolds, experts warn that pairs of ospreys must average 1.15 chicks per year to maintain their population. However, reports indicate that many nests are failing to produce sufficient offspring around the Chesapeake Bay, a key population center. This trend has people fearing that our population may plummet to less than half of what it was during the dark days of DDT.
Atlantic Osprey populations have increased six times along the Atlantic Coast since the ban on DDT in the 1960’s. Even so, experts are concerned that unless we change course, we’re at risk of losing these remarkable advancements. In some of the most devastated regions, ospreys are breeding at below one-tenth of the rate necessary for viable populations. Conservationists point to multiple factors in this drop. Climate change, water pollution, loss of habitat and perhaps most importantly the overfishing of menhaden.
Chris Moore, Virginia executive director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, highlights the urgency of addressing these issues: “We’re in a situation where they’re not replacing their numbers. We’ll actually be in a situation where we’re in a steep decline.” His message is that without concrete action taken today, our nation will lose this great bird forever.
The osprey’s dependence on menhaden for sustenance has highlighted concerns over fishing practices. Conservationists have argued for many years that too much menhaden harvest pushes the ocean food chain out of balance. This unique disruption threatens the survival of ospreys even more. As Watts states, “The osprey are yelling pretty loudly that, hey, there’s not enough menhaden for us to reproduce successfully.” He implores stakeholders to heed the warning and begin taking precautionary measures when it comes to the management of our nation’s fisheries.
Well known conservationist Professor James Boyle bolsters optimism for the osprey’s comeback, but cites the challenge they are facing today. “There are big increases in osprey population since the DDT era,” he states. But these hard-fought gains are now under siege from increasingly compound environmental assaults.
More and more we are seeing the impacts of climate change in marine fish and wildlife. Climate change has both threatened fish migration and nesting patterns, impacting the abundance of fish that depend on our lakes and rivers. Pollution continues to plague ecosystems, making recovery for ospreys and all wildlife even more of a challenge. Development along coastlines further threatens their natural habitats where successful breeding is necessary.
In this multi-faceted crisis, diverging views of what fishing rules should be imposed only makes things more confusing. As depicted by local fisherman and member of the Lowcountry Alliance for Model Communities, Kenny Pinkard, his anger boils at rules designed to protect ospreys. “There are some people who just don’t want to see us in business at all,” he remarks. This reveals the underlying conflict between environmental conservation and economic development in regard to fishing practices.
As scientists and conservationists work to assess and address these challenges, they call for collaborative approaches that balance ecological sustainability with community livelihoods. Our experts are pouring all of their energy into discovering the reasons behind this sudden decline in the osprey population. These highly endangered birds’ lives depend on their continued efforts to find answers.
