Feds Asked to Take Action to Prevent Herring Overfishing

Source: NOAA

BOSTON (AP) — Fishing managers in New England are asking the federal government to take action to try to reduce the possibility of overfishing in the herring fishery.

Herring is an important small fish on the East Coast, and recent assessments of the stock show that it is in decline. The regulatory New England Fishery Management Council recently approved a host of new restrictions about the fishery.

The council is also asking the National Marine Fisheries Service to set catch limits for next year’s fishery. The council says swift action by the federal agency is needed to “reduce the probability of overfishing.”

Herring are commercially important because they are the primary bait for the lobster fishery. They’re also a critical part of the ocean food chain, and they’re used as food for humans.