[redcrbbr]

I just banged this out. Please build on this or not. Lets not drag our feet on this folks.

Sir, I am writing this letter to express my concern with the current status and decline of the river herring. It is time correct this situation now. I am urging you to please support the following options on Draft Amendment 2 to the Shad & River Herring Fisheries Management Plan.

I Urge you to support commercial harvest option 4 which would close direct commercial fishing for River Herring except for sustainable fisheries.
Option 5 that will institute a complete moratorium on recreational harvest.

I also ask that you please vote for at least the following three options.
Option 3a which will establish limits on river herring by catch in other commercial fisheries
Option 3b would require mandatory reporting of by catch and discards at a statistically confident level
Option 3c would mandate time/area closures for fisheries known to have high River Herring by catch.

Because trends in river herring bycatch data indicate peak areas and seasons, time/area closures should be proposed and brought forward to the NEFMC and MAFMC to protect river herring.
We must halt the decline and begin rebuilding healthy river herring populations, aggressive and immediate management actions are necessary. A failure to act swiftly to control all sources of river herring mortality could result in this Atlantic species becoming commercially extinct.

Please do the right thing,

Sincerely,