01 /
THE DIRECT SWAP
Go straight to the algae.
Fish get their omega-3s through the food web. Algae-based supplements can provide EPA and/or DHA—without harvesting forage fish.
Look for “algal oil” + check the EPA/DHA label.
A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE SHORE
FOR THE LOVEOF BIRDS.STOP EATINGOSPREYS.
Not literally. (We hope.)
Their dinner shouldn’t come in a softgel.
Good for you. A little less terrible for them.
“Hey. That’s
my dinner.”
my dinner.”
LESS FISH OILMORE FISH, PLEASE
EXHIBIT A: THE OSPREYNot a supplement ingredient.
SMALL FISH. BIG DEAL.
Something’s fishy
at the Jersey Shore.
And for once, it’s not the boardwalk.
Ospreys are spectacular fish-catching machines. But even the best fisherman can’t catch a fish that isn’t there. Along the Jersey Shore, food shortages can turn nesting season into a fight to keep chicks alive.
Atlantic menhaden—locally known as bunker—are oily, nutrient-rich fish that help fuel that next generation. They’re also caught by industrial “reduction fisheries,” which process them into fish oil and fish meal for products including omega-3 supplements and animal feed.
One species’ dinner. Another species’ wellness routine. When too few fish are available near the nest, osprey chicks can go hungry. Taking fish out of the food web has consequences that don’t fit on a supplement label.
Fishing pressure isn’t the whole story: weather, local fish availability and other conditions also affect breeding success. But your next purchase is one place you can start. Check your fish oil’s source, and consider an algae-based alternative.
Big claims deserve receiptsLittle fishBig appetiteA shore worth protecting
A food web. Not a supplement supply chain.
HERE’S THE PART WHERE YOU HELP
Same you. Less fishy.
No cape. No bird law degree.
Just a better next purchase.
02 /
THE PANTRY OPTION
Give plants a chance.
Ground flaxseed, chia seeds and walnuts provide ALA, a plant omega-3. Your body converts only a small amount to EPA and DHA.
Good foods. Not a one-for-one fish-oil replacement.
03 /
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Stand up for the little fish.
Menhaden feed a whole coast, not just ospreys. Support science-based catch limits and the people protecting their place in the food web.
Less pressure on forage fish. More dinner for wildlife.
A quick human-health note: omega-3 needs vary. If you take prescribed omega-3s or have a medical condition, talk to your clinician before switching. This is a bird PSA, not medical advice.
DARK JOKE. EMPTY NESTS. YOU GET THE PICTURE.
A ridiculous ask.
A real problem.
No, people aren’t literally eating ospreys. We’re competing for their food. Somehow, that needed a less subtle headline.
The joke is absurd. Hungry chicks aren’t. Turning a little fish into a wellness product can take dinner out of the food web these birds depend on. Choosing algae-based omega-3s is one small way to leave the fish to the professionals.
Your softgel has a food chain.
Meet the Delaware Riverkeeper NetworkTHE JOKE HAS FOOTNOTES.
Don’t take a bird’s word for it.
Start with the science. Stay for the birds.
What’s happening to New Jersey’s ospreys?
Food shortages can leave osprey chicks without enough to eat. Monitoring nesting success helps identify where birds are struggling—including areas around the Mullica River and Great Bay. Weather, prey distribution and other local conditions also matter; a poor breeding season does not, on its own, establish a single cause.
For mortality figures, check the original monitoring report, its year and the specific nests or area surveyed. A local finding is not a statewide mortality rate.
Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey: Osprey Project ↗Why do menhaden matter?
Atlantic menhaden are forage fish eaten by larger fish, seabirds and marine mammals. They are harvested for bait and reduction into fish meal and oil. Fisheries management needs to account for their ecosystem role.
NOAA Fisheries: Atlantic menhaden ↗Are all omega-3s the same?
No. Algal oils can supply DHA and sometimes EPA; flax, chia and walnuts supply ALA. Conversion from ALA to EPA and DHA is limited. Check product labels and get advice suited to your health needs.
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Omega-3s ↗FOR THE BIRDS. LITERALLY.
Let them eat fish.
Make the swap. Tell a friend. Be mildly annoying about it.