April 22, 2016 โ SACO, Maine โ You can learn a lot about the life cycle of certain types of fish by spending your time on the seas. As a small-scale, sustainable hook fisherman, Iโve certainly been able to learn a lot over my years. But more recently, some of what Iโve learned has me really scared.
Take herring, a fish that we see a lot of around New England. They make their way to inland rivers in the spring in order to spawn before heading offshore. The problem is, New England has had a huge problem with pollution in our waterways โ and herring, at a very young age, are particularly susceptible to pollution. And what they take in could very well end up on your dinner plate.
The same is true with Atlantic salmon, a fish that was harvested here by Native Americans and Pilgrims hundreds of years ago โ and that now is on the verge of extinction. Some will say thatโs because of climate change, and thatโs probably partially true. What they are missing is water quality.