lets talk herring

[shadow]

this is not a new problem.Connecticut's runs have been banned for 4 or 5 years now it's a problem that is speading north it seems.the scary part is ct runs have not improved at all since the bans.Something needs to be done about the manegment of the bait fish.

[Backbeach Jake]

Tho I've never fished herring, I've noticed a huge drop in populations over the years at runs that I've visited since mu childhood. We used to trap chubs and eels at these places and the herring were a nuisance in the 60's. Now only a few chubs are left...The herring need a break.

[Clogston29]

Regional closings or closing specific runs woudn't work because people would drive to the nearest one that is open. As it is, unless they close the runs in RI a bunch of MA guys will be driving down there and putting even more pressure on them. The main problems I see with the ban (and I do not have a ton of info on it) is that it does not seem to address the primary problem which is commercial fishing outside of US waters and that it'll just shift pressure to other bait fish that are already on the decline, such as mackerel and menhaden, as a bait source.

[Canalman]

Personally... I don't think the majority of us have enough scientific evidence to fight this battle. It doesn't matter if you see thousands of herring, there is a problem on a much larger scale and if you want to see your ***** runs wiped out.... leave them open while all the others are closed . I saw a drop in herring the last few years, but I'll leave the regulations up to the guys whos job it is to make these decisions, they only stand to benefit US in the end.

-Dave

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by Clogston29

Regional closings or closing specific runs woudn't work because people would drive to the nearest one that is open. As it is, unless they close the runs in RI a bunch of MA guys will be driving down there and putting even more pressure on them. The main problems I see with the ban (and I do not have a ton of info on it) is that it does not seem to address the primary problem which is commercial fishing outside of US waters and that it'll just shift pressure to other bait fish that are already on the decline, such as mackerel and menhaden, as a bait source.

They're going to be seriously disappointed when they get here. Some runs are almost gone. There's only one that I know about that looks extremely healthy. Not sure if it's just a coincidence or not, but nobody really knows about it.

Anyone here know for sure if herring return to the exact same river they were born? I've had biologists tell me yes and no, so I'm not sure what to think. Almost all articles you read about herring say they return to native waters, but sometimes I think the authors just throw that in there assuming they're like salmon.