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Community Corner

River Herring Fishing Season Closed in New Jersey

Lack of a management plan caused fishing to be prohibited.

New Jersey anglers are now barred from keeping river herring, a species common to the Ocean County area but also popular statewide.

The ban on fishing, which went into effect Feb. 1, comes after nearly three years of management wrangling.

In May 2009, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission approved a measure that required each state within its jurisdiction, including New Jersey, to develop a sustainable management plan for herring. The board’s action was taken in response to widespread concern of declining herring stocks.

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Between 1985 and 2007, commercial landings of river herring decreased by 97 percent from 13.6 million pounds to 317,000 pounds.

Herring spend their adult life at sea and return to local estuaries and inland rivers to spawn when they are mature at about three years of age. But because of the way they move in the water column while in the ocean, the species is susceptible to becoming by-catch, fish caught accidentally by commercial fishermen targeting a different species. Some biologists believe this is central to the reason stocks have declined.

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The ASMFC's measure contained recommendations to member states, including New Jersey, to develop plans to conserve, restore, and protect critical river herring habitat. New Jersey never did so, however.

According to an article published by the state in 2011, "The Last Call for River Herring," the species has not been a high priority fishery to receive dedicated research and management funds in New Jersey.

"The commission has not received any recent formal communications from New Jersey regarding the river herring," said ASMFC spokeswoman Kate Taylor.

"Funds have not been earmarked for herring-specific studies to achieve the Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission's sustainability plan requirement," said Larry Hajna, a spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. "More broadly, the DEP's Marine Fisheries Administration is currently working on a plan for prioritizing research and management of fish species during these difficult economic times when resources are stretched thin, not just in New Jersey but throughout the country.”

The end result of the funding shortfall may be the continued closure of the fishery until the state prepares a management plan and addresses the ASMFC's regulations. Other states, such as Maine, have taken advantage of ASMFC grants to complete their management plans, according to Taylor.

Anglers generally are known to fish for these herring for consumption, although most herring are taken to be used as live bait for striped bass fishing.

The fine for illegally possessing river herring is $30 per fish, Hajna said.

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