Read this in the Boston Herald

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=93598

Hate to say it but it might be necessary. And if it happens, I think RI must at minimum not allow non-residents to take herring or more likely, close RI Runs as well. There is too much pressure on these fish - might just need to close it and catch the poachers instead

I'm very suspicious when people get too excited about a 1-season drop in a population. This has been an odd year on many counts. See: Red tide, largest menheden in years, very large squid population, low herring population....etc.

Things run in cycles. Not every species has a successful recruitment class every year. Let's not panic. The marine ecology is extremely complex and not even the top marine biologists understand from year to year why certain species prosper and others decline.

The bottom line is to ALWAYS manage EVERY fishery (stock) carefully and practice good conservation methods on a consistent bases. But we shouldn't over-react or take extreme measures based on a single season.

These fish counts are for returning to spawn fish but the drop within the year classes is huge too. It's a problem.

It is not a one year drop they are in trouble up and down the coast. ThomT

River herring and alewive populations have been dropping for years. They are no longer seen in NY, CT has completely shut down the fihing for them. IMHO RI should do the same while we still ahve some breeders lleft. According to the DEM guys I talked to this spring most of the fish in the runs were small first time spawners.

ALOT OF YEARS AGO FISHED CT RIVER FOR AMERICAN SHAD.PEOPLE CAME FROM ALL OVER AND TOWNS HAD BIG EVENTS.THIS YEAR TOTAL COUNT OF RETURNING SHAD SOMETHING LIKE 78,000.SOME YEARS BACK LIKE 876,000 AND ALOT MORE IN THE 70'S.STRIPERS ARE EATING WELL AND GETTING FAT.

Sorry, wrong thread

As much as I enjoy catching a few each spring, I really don't "need" them. (I need eels more then herring.) What bothers me about this is the comm catch. A couple years ago (like 2 or 3) comm netters offshre had record herring hauls. It just seems to me that the 10 or 12 herring we might take twice a week for a month or two each spring is not really the problem. The comm interest is so greed based that they will, can and have wipe out fish stocks with ease. IMO if they want to shut it down...shut down all fishing for them.

Hopefully the will watch the runs like hawks if they do enact a ban. I have seen way too many people taking 55 gallon trash barrels full for lobstering, commercial fishing, charter boat fishing, and eating. :gorez: :hidin:

As much as I enjoy catching a few each spring, I really don't "need" them. (I need eels more then herring.) What bothers me about this is the comm catch. A couple years ago (like 2 or 3) comm netters offshre had record herring hauls. It just seems to me that the 10 or 12 herring we might take twice a week for a month or two each spring is not really the problem. The comm interest is so greed based that they will, can and have wipe out fish stocks with ease. IMO if they want to shut it down...shut down all fishing for them.


hear hear......

Lets punish the group that harvests the least numbers of herring. That is just silly.

Lets start by stopping or dramatically slowing the commercial harvest.
Lets enforce the laws and stop the poachers.
Lets cut the take in half for any given day.

Does anyone have the numbers for example.
1. How many pounds of herring are harvested by the recreational fisherman during the entire season?

2. How many pounds of herring are harvested by commercial fisherman during the season?

I know these numbers are probably not available. But I would be willing to bet the shear numbers of river herring by-catch is still higher than the river herring take from recs.



While I am sure I not seeing the whole picture - this seems like penny wise and pound foolish. I think the recs are getting punished because there is not enough rec money spent on lobbying. the commerical guys, boat owners, protein processors, etc have the lobbying money to fight this.

If there are no herring in the runs - I doubt the primary cause is the few fish (if take legally) taken by Recs.

comms always come before the recs.

All I have to say is FINALLY!

:happy: :claps:

I have watched to population in my local run dwindle down to virtually nothing, and it happens because of people who don't obey the damn law! I see guys taking 2 times, 3 times, 10 times their limit, calls to the DEM go unanswered. Personally, I think they should close the fishery for at least 5 years coastwide. I know it's fun to catch bass on herring but, these fish are just as important as pogies are. Anyone who complains about a herring ban and at the same time calls for a comercial ban on the take of pogies needs to re-think their arguments a bit....

-Dave

About freakin' time. Pogies need it too as eels might also. Hmm.... Seal reduction anyone? :claps:

Seal reduction anyone?

I'm pretty sure humans are the problem, not seals.

Does anyone have the numbers for example.
1. How many pounds of herring are harvested by the recreational fisherman during the entire season?

2. How many pounds of herring are harvested by commercial fisherman during the season?

According to the ASMFC in 1999, "Recreational landings of
Atlantic herring are currently so small as to make regulation of this fishery unnecessary at this time."

The most recent landings data for Atlantic Herring from NMFS totals 2003 landings at 95,225.2 metric tons.

As for river herring (alewives and blueback herring), the landings data can be found here: http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/sos/spsyn/af/herring/ Even if you shoot a quick look towards the graph and nothing else, you can tell that landings have taken a nosedive. There is no data on recreational catch, however. According to the ASFMC in 1998, "There are extensive recreational fisheries for river herring in many rivers along the East Coast. While some are hook and line fisheries (i.e., Delaware River), many states permit various types of dip nets and seines. The total quantity of fish landed by these recreational netters for personal use (i.e., bait and consumption) may be quite large. All of these landings are unreported and thus, represent a large potential error in recorded recreational river herring harvests."

It seems to me that the FMPs for both Atlantic herring and river herring need some review, as there have been no addendums to the plans since the late 90s. If stocks have declined so much in the past few years, it's definitely due. And find a way to get the recreational catch data, for chrissake!