Fact Sheets

Standing_Puffin Atlantic Herring (471 Kb)
Atlantic herring is one of the most important fishes in New England -
a keystone species in the Northwest Atlantic.

river-herring-underwater River Herring (New England) (1.2 Mb)
River Herring (Mid-Atlantic) (1.2 Mb)
Populations of alewife and blueback herring are in serious decline
along the Atlantic Coast and face numerous threats.

Shad (2 Mb)
By restoring American shad we can protect rivers and coastal
ecosystems where shad provide a crucial source of food to other wildlife.

weir_fisherman_crop History of a Fishery (972 Kb)
Atlantic herring have been caught in New England waters for centuries.
But the fishery has recently changed, becoming increasingly industrial

pumpingout3 Bycatch and Monitoring (3.1 Mb)
Bycatch, the unintended capture of unwanted fish and other animals
during fishing, is a growing concern in the Atlantic herring fishery.

Reports

Out of Balance (2 Mb) – A comprehensive report detailing the pivotal role Atlantic herring play in the region’s ecosystem and economy and the threat of the industrial-scale herring fleet that jeopardizes the health of this key resource.

Empty Rivers (5.7 Mb) – A special report revealing that river herring populations are disappearing from the Atlantic seaboard and that fishery managers need to pay more attention to bycatch at sea by industrial midwater trawl fishing.

Correspondence

Letters to regional fishery managers and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) regarding meetings and requests for public comment.

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

Letter in support of the Commission's Draft Addendum VI to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Herring and a request that all proposed options in the addendum move forward for public comment.
May 16, 2013
Read the Letter

Letter urging the Commission's Menhaden Management Board to adopt Amendment 2, including a coastwide catch limit that will end overfishing and promote recovery of the Atlantic menhaden population and all of the other fisheries and wildlife that these fish support
November 16, 2012
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Letter on behalf of the Herring Alliance by Earthjustice for the Amendment 5 Draft Environmental Impact Statement comment period June 4, 2012 Read the Letter Herring Alliance sign-on letter for the Amendment 5 Draft Environmental Impact Statement comment period June 4, 2012 Read the Letter
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Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish Fishery Management Plan

Scoping letter to the Mid-Atlantic Council requesting that Amendment 15 establish science-based catch limits, rebuilding plans, and other required measures to adequately conserve and manage depleted river herring and shad.
December 5, 2012
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Additional scoping letter to the Mid-Atlantic Council requesting that Amendment 15 include management alternatives to protect additional forage species, and prohibit new directed fisheries until scientific knowledge is available to manage them in an ecologically sustainable way.
December 12, 2012
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Letter on behalf of the Herring Alliance by Earthjustice for the Amendment 14 Draft Environmental Impact Statement comment period
June 4, 2012
Read the Letter