A Wider Net: Improving Management of River Herring in the Northeast U.S. after Population Declines

Over the past decade and a half river herring populations have decreased in many river systems and recovery has been sporadic across the species’ range.  Several states in New England reacted to the initial declines by closing all harvest of river herring.  Recently, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission mandated closed river herring fisheries for all East Coast states in the absence of approved fishery management plans.  Despite these efforts recovery in many runs has been slow or elusive.   While there has been a dramatic increase in river herring research since the period of closures (2002-2006), many knowledge gaps still exist and management decisions are often considered in a data poor environment.  Accordingly, diadromous fish biologists have made changes to how they monitor and restore river herring.  Alternatives have varied from state to state but have often featured increased reliance on collaborations with federal agencies, academic researchers, non-governmental organizations groups, and municipalities.  Many agencies have increased their involvement in funding or participating in research, thereby shortening funding cycles and directing research priorities.  Further adaptations include the adoption of new technologies, increasing innovation in monitoring techniques, and the development of new metrics to monitor or predict abundance.