fact sheet
Learn more about the decline of
river herring and the steps toward solutions from the Herring Alliance.
Herring blog
Find out how the decline of the herring population has impacted local fishermen.
River herring campaign
Find out what we're doing to protect this sea herring cousin.
Sea Herring Campaign
The Hook Association works with our campaign partners to protect Atlantic herring - and, in turn, the fish, fisheries and jobs that depend on them - from damage caused by poorly managed industrial fishing. Comprehensive monitoring programs, science-based catch limits that consider the keystone role of herring in the ecosystem and nearshore restrictions on herring trawling are crucial to reforming the industry and protecting critical spawning areas.
The Problem
The immense volume of sea herring being netted by midwater trawlers is putting the entire marine ecosystem at risk by depleting a cornerstone of the food web. The scale of this fishery has also led to immense bycatch events where tens of thousands of pounds of groundfish are caught and then wasted. Without stricter limitations on catch, and a better monitoring program to understand what is being caught by this industrialized fleet, the Georges Bank and Gulf of Maine ecosystems will constantly be in danger.
What We’re Doing
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Working through the New England Fishery Management Council to develop comprehensive monitoring measures for the herring fishery, including:
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Altering fishing methods and regulations to help reduce “bycatch,” or the amount of groundfish and marine mammals and that are picked up by midwater trawlers.
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Installing a higher level of monitoring at sea to make sure fishermen are complying with these regulations.
How You Can Help
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Marine business owners and fishermen can SIGN ON to a petition urging fisheries managers to fully solve the problems with the herring fishery, not just study them.
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Contact Ben Martens at 508.945.2432 or bmartens@ccchfa.org to find out how to get involved with the campaign.
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TWEET if you see it: Alert @CCCHFA to what midwater trawlers are doing on the water.
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Follow our updates on Facebook and on our website.
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Watch the video below about the dangers of trawling.
Provided by the Herring Alliance
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Operating Grant Support
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