MA: River Herring Population Decline Getting Critical on the South Shore 12-27-17

MA: River Herring Population Decline Getting Critical on the South Shore
BY MIMI WALKER – POSTED ON DECEMBER 27, 2017
POSTED IN: AUDIO, LOCAL NEWS
95.9 WATD

After this year's controversy surrounding 2,500 dead herring in Kingston that didn't make it to the Pembroke Herring Run, WATD is taking a closer look at the long history this fish has in the state of Massachusetts.

Aside from early colonists and Native Americans using herring as food and fertilizer, Wheaton College Biology Professor Barbara Brennessel says the economic influence of river herring is widely underestimated:

However, the state's river herring population has been declining since that point every single year. Most experts say old dams and culverts are to blame, as they block the herring's path to their spawning grounds, causing a great deal of stress. 63 dams are still standing in the North and South Rivers Watershed.

A moratorium on herring harvesting was put in place in 2005, and is still in place today. More from Barbara Brennessel:

Additional lectures on herring preservation will pop up this coming spring. In the meantime, Brennessel also recommends citizens visit riverherringnetwork.com for the latest population information and opportunities to volunteer.