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The numbers of herring returning to rivers and streams throughout the Commonwealth each spring to spawn are dropping, leading the Division of Marine Fisheries to consider changes in river herring regulations. There are over 100 separate river herring runs documented by the Division. River herring is a popular bait for anglers pursuing striped bass. The Division cites poaching as a leading problem in the decline of the runs.
The Division has collected data documenting the declines, and has also gathered information from town officials and other state agencies. River herring tend to be cyclical, but the recent declines seem to be more persistent and are causing concern. Besides poaching, the Division lists natural environmental changes leading to poor recruitment, by-catch in offshore trawl fisheries, increasing natural mortality (particularly predation by striped bass), poor passage in the streams and degradation of spawning habitat. The Division has begun studies to investigate the cause of the declines.
Further, the Division will hold public hearings with a proposal to implement changes in regulations designed to conserve existing stocks. The proposed changes include lowering the daily bag limit from 25 to 12 fish, and prohibiting the sale of river herring.
Two hearings have been scheduled:
Monday, March 21, 2005 at 7:00 PM
Plymouth South Middle School
488 Long Pond Road
Plymouth, MA
Tuesday, March 22, 2005 at 7:00 PM
Annisquam River Marine Fisheries Station
30 Emerson Ave.
Gloucester. MA