As river herring make their way up our coastal rivers to spawn, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) is revising rules that apply to river herring catch. The state is taking public comment through this coming Friday, April 26. In state waters, no one has been allowed to catch or possess river herring for eight years. However, river herring are caught as bycatch in federal waters, by industrial vessels targeting Atlantic herring.

Somewhere out there on our coast, just beyond where rivers hit salt water, thousands of small fish are gathering and making ready for an epic voyage inland. The annual run of river herring is about to start.

Hundreds of people are getting ready, too. They’re the volunteers who will gather at bridges, fish ladders, dams and riverbanks to count the passing herring—an important exercise in citizen science that builds the database needed to help conserve these imperiled fish.

On Friday, December 14, the Atlantic States Marine Commission took a historic step towards protecting Atlantic menhaden, an important forage fish on the East Coast. Herring Alliance director Peter Baker issued the following statement and released this video:

“Today the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission listened to the science and the public in taking a historic step to end overfishing of Atlantic menhaden and to begin to rebuild the population of this important little fish. By adopting the first coastwide catch limit on this fishery, the commission has begun to reverse the 90 percent plunge in the menhaden population over the past three decades. Sound science clearly calls for leaving more of these fish in the water to fulfill their ecological role. More menhaden means more food for ocean wildlife, from seabirds to whales and popular game fish such as striped bass.

There are 24 hours for Congress to make a difference for menhaden. Can you call your Member of Congress? Ask them to sign on to the letter led by Rep. Sarbanes and Rep. Carney to encourage the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to follow through on last year’s commitment to implement science-based management and immediately end overfishing of Atlantic menhaden.

Oily, bony and nearly inedible for people, the humble Atlantic menhaden may not look like much, but this little fish is sometimes called the most important fish in the sea because of its vital role in the ocean food web. Striped bass, bluefish, whales, dolphins, sharks and birds like osprey and terns depend on menhaden as a critical food source. But unrestricted industrial fishing endangers menhaden—and in turn, the rest of the marine ecosystem.