Shad and River Herring Return to Coastal New Jersey, but Will They Stay?

River herring and American Shad are anadromous fish that were historically important from both an ecological and cultural perspective along the northeast coast of America. New Jersey in particular used to have a large fishery for these species that aided the survival and growth of early European colonists. However, recent coast-wide population declines associated with human actions have led to fishery closures in many states, including New Jersey. This film highlights recent work studying one of the continued challenges to the recovery of these fish, obstructions to upriver migrations, through the lens of a local fisherman and his history with these amazing fish. The film highlights the life history of these fish, and our research on how fish ladders aid in helping fish move passed small dams, which are impediments to their spawning migrations. Footage was shot at the Lake Shenandoah Dam on the Metedeconk River and the Island Farm Weir on the Raritan River in New Jersey using a Cannon 7D digital camera.