Using Genetic Markers to Assign River Herring Bycatch to Natal Origins

River herring, the collective name for anadromous alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis), are a critical coastal marine and freshwater resource. They are important prey for many recreationally and commercially important fish species and strongly impact the ecology of marine and freshwater ecosystems. River herring have experienced steep population declines since 1970, and a major current threat to river herring populations is bycatch in marine fisheries. There is considerable concern that bycatch may disproportionately impact river herring from specific regions. We employed microsatellite markers to identify the natal origins of river herring captured as bycatch in marine fisheries. This information helps to inform bycatch mitigation strategies and thus represents a key component to developing an effective river herring recovery plan.