River herring will remain off-limits again this year, as they have every year since April 2002, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection announced Monday.
The agency said the river herring population has showed no improvement in size, so the prohibition continues through March 31, 2013.
"The exact cause of the decline in river herring runs is still unknown," William Hyatt, head of the agency's bureau of natural resources, said in an agency press release. "But it is clear the major problem exists in the estuaries and ocean, where it affects river herring from all East Coast states. There is no indication that there is a problem with Connecticut rivers and streams."
In its release, the agency says: "River herring is a term used to collectively refer to alewife and blueback herring. Both species are anadromous, which means they hatch in freshwater, migrate to the ocean to grow, then return to freshwater to spawn.
"Historically, millions of river herring returned to Connecticut rivers and streams each year. In 1985, over 630,000 blueback herring were passed over the Holyoke Dam on the Connecticut River. By 2006, only 21 passed the Holyoke Dam (Massachusetts), the lowest number in the history of the Holyoke Fishlift. Last year that number had crept up to 138.
"While river herring are not typically consumed by humans, they are important food to many species of freshwater and marine gamefish, as well as osprey, bald eagle, harbor seals, porpoise, egrets, kingfishers and river otter."
The agency said the ban does not extend to landlocked alewives in lakes and ponds including, Amos Lake, Ball Pond, Beach Pond, Candlewood Lake, Crystal Lake, Highland Lake, Lake Quassapaug, Lake Quonnipaug, Rogers Lake, Squantz Pond, Uncas Pond, and Lake Waramaug.
The agency said the river herring population has showed no improvement in size, so the prohibition continues through March 31, 2013.
"The exact cause of the decline in river herring runs is still unknown," William Hyatt, head of the agency's bureau of natural resources, said in an agency press release. "But it is clear the major problem exists in the estuaries and ocean, where it affects river herring from all East Coast states. There is no indication that there is a problem with Connecticut rivers and streams."
In its release, the agency says: "River herring is a term used to collectively refer to alewife and blueback herring. Both species are anadromous, which means they hatch in freshwater, migrate to the ocean to grow, then return to freshwater to spawn.
"Historically, millions of river herring returned to Connecticut rivers and streams each year. In 1985, over 630,000 blueback herring were passed over the Holyoke Dam on the Connecticut River. By 2006, only 21 passed the Holyoke Dam (Massachusetts), the lowest number in the history of the Holyoke Fishlift. Last year that number had crept up to 138.
"While river herring are not typically consumed by humans, they are important food to many species of freshwater and marine gamefish, as well as osprey, bald eagle, harbor seals, porpoise, egrets, kingfishers and river otter."
The agency said the ban does not extend to landlocked alewives in lakes and ponds including, Amos Lake, Ball Pond, Beach Pond, Candlewood Lake, Crystal Lake, Highland Lake, Lake Quassapaug, Lake Quonnipaug, Rogers Lake, Squantz Pond, Uncas Pond, and Lake Waramaug.
"The exact cause of the decline in river herring runs is still unknown," William Hyatt, head of the agency's bureau of natural resources, said in an agency press release. "But it is clear the major problem exists in the estuaries and ocean, where it affects river herring from all East Coast states. There is no indication that there is a problem with Connecticut rivers and streams."
No more a mystery than the declining menhaden/bunker stocks.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2012/04/01/some_say_new_england_herring_at_risk_from_trawlers/
Here's to hoping for those herring moving into the CT River, because the migratory stripers will be right on top of them!
No more a mystery than the declining menhaden/bunker stocks.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2012/04/01/some_say_new_england_herring_at_risk_from_trawlers/
Here's to hoping for those herring moving into the CT River, because the migratory stripers will be right on top of them!