September 28, 2013 — The New England Fishery Management Council voted Thursday to limit the number of river herring and shad incidentally caught by trawlers in federal waters. The cap is the latest in a series of state and federal measures underway to protect the species of fish, whose populations are at historic lows.
Under the new rules, fishermen trawling for Atlantic herring in southern New England waters would be barred from keeping more than 212 metric tons of river herring and shad bycatch. The cap for the Gulf of Maine would be 86 metric tons.
Caps would not apply to smaller scale vessels, and no caps are proposed in the Georges Bank area where officials say fishermen rarely catch river herring and shad.
River herring spend most of their lives in the ocean but run up freshwater streams and ponds to spawn. They were once a significant resource harvested in Vineyard waters in the spring. The roe was highly prized, sold often at local fish markets. Fishermen also would use the herring as bait to catch lobsters or larger sport fish like striped bass.
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