February 18, 2020 — Cape Ann fishermen and other stakeholders will have a chance to weigh in on a plan to better manage the New England fishery for Atlantic herring next month.
Interstate fishing regulators are holding a hearing at 6 p.m. March 2 at the state Division of Marine Fisheries’ Annisquam River Station, 30 Emerson Ave. in Gloucester. Other hearings will be held March 3 in Wakefield and Portsmouth, New Hampshire; March 9 in Augusta, Maine, and by webinar on March 12.
Herring are important economically because they serve as key bait for the lobster and tuna industries. They’re also used as food for human consumption. But perhaps most important, the fish is a critical part of the marine ecosystem because it serves as food for whales, seals and larger fish.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission said in a statement that a recent assessment of the herring stock found downward trends in the health of the population.