MATTAPOISETT, Mass. — March 2, 2014 — After seeing a small but steady increase in river herring populations in the Tri-town area the last few years, herring inspectors say there is a decline this year.
The trio of inspectors representing Mattapoisett, Rochester, and Marion, came together last week and met with town selectmen for their annual Tri-town Herring Meeting.
The inspectors told selectmen that the river herring population is down 8,000 from an estimated 28,000 reported last year.
Mattapoisett Herring Inspector Bob Martin estimated that in 2000 there was a population of close to 150,000 herring.
Since peaking in 2000, the herring population in the Mattapoisett River has been in a steady decline, bottoming out in 2007. Herring populations since then have seen a small, but steady increase in the river until this year, the inspectors said.
Read the full story from the New Bedford Standard-Times