I ran into some guys dragging a sane net at a local pond after dark a couple of weeks ago. They were students from the Marine Biological Labs in Woods Hole, working on a grant to study the current river herring populations.

I asked them about any plans to re-open the runs and the news was not good. The populations are being wiped out by draggers in international waters and closing the runs is only estimated to be enough to delay the extinction.

Anybody hear anything positive about the subject?

In my opinion, the only positive news we can hope to hear is the eventual shut down of mid-water trawling. Until then, I wouldn't expect to ever hear good news.

If there's any "good news", it'll be from the lure manufacturers that are seeing their business increase.

As of the herring, it looks about as promising as the plight of the Do-do's. In other words, they're screwed!

Commercials won't stop till there's no fish left in the ocean unless we sink their boats and tell them to find another type of work without a government subsidy to pay for their vacations. Ron

Sad indeed