The recent recommendation from regional fisheries regulators to substantially cut the herring catch — a major source of lobster bait — is another piece of evidence pointing toward the benefits of allowing fewer lobster traps.
The New England Fisheries Management Council last week recommended that the region’s annual herring catch be dropped to 106,000 metric tons. Scientists had suggested a steeper reduction to 90,000 metric tons. The National Marine Fisheries Service will issue a final decision in coming weeks.
The reduction is needed to allow the herring population to grow. In addition to being used for bait, herring are an important food source for larger fish and marine mammals. If herring stocks fall too low, the populations of other commercially important fish could also decline, harming other aspects of the fishing industry and the marine environment in general.