August 23, 2018 — Herring harvests are being cut by millions of pounds because of concerns about the important little fish’s population, the federal government announced on Wednesday.
Herring fishing is a major industry in New England and the mid-Atlantic states, where the schooling fish are harvested for use as bait, food, fish oil and other products. But a recent assessment shows the fish’s stock is in decline, officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.
The herring catch has been declining since 2013 and this year’s catch again appears lower than previous years, the agency said in a statement.
“We expect this reduction to reduce the probability of overfishing in 2018,” the NOAA said on its website.
Herring fishermen entered this year with a catch limit of more than 240 million pounds, but the regulatory New England Fishery Management Council recommended earlier this year that the number be cut back to a little more than 118 million pounds.
The NOAA announced on Wednesday that it is instead cutting the herring limit back to a little less than 110 million pounds, effective immediately. It stated on its website that “further reductions are necessary to lessen the risk of overfishing.” The herring fishing season ends on Dec. 31 and parts of it could close earlier if fishermen get close to the catch limit.
The agency said it hopes the cutback will allow the fishery to avoid even deeper cuts in the future.