One of my co-workers brought this article to my attention:
http://www.projo.com/report/html/06984081.htm
It appears that we have three Russian Factory ships off Jamestown purchasing and processing the "underutilzed" herring and mackerl from RI fishermen. While I am happy to see RI fishermen working, I am concerned for a couple of reasons.
Do the recovering groundfish (Cod) rely on macks and herring for forage?
With no need to come into port to unload is there anyone preventing these ships from slipping a little bit of bycatch aboard?
When the sea ia stripped of these two species what is next?
I don't have any idea of where they fit into the food chain, but I can only think that herring improve water quality in the same manner that menheden do.