FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, DECEMBER 10, 2014

This fall and through the end of January, NOAA Fisheries is conducting a voluntary survey of individuals who have harvested river herring (alewives and blueback herring) commercially, recreationally or for personal use at any point in time over the past 20 years.

The goal of this survey is to gather first-hand observations to inform our understanding of alewife and blueback population trends and help our efforts to restore these fish populations along the U.S. East Coast.

Commercial, recreational and personal-use harvesters have detailed knowledge of the fish in their local areas, such as changes in fish run timing, distribution and individual fish size and species composition.

NOAA wants to document some of this local knowledge in order to better understand river herring and their habitat.

NOAA intends to use the information obtained from this survey to cross-reference scientifically collected data to better understand trends and changes in river herring populations coast-wide.

This information can help NOAA identify opportunities for additional research and restoration.

Learn more: http://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/stories/2014/surveykickoffonRiverHerringinaugust.html

To learn more about the survey or to participate, please contact Dan Kircheis (dan.kircheis@noaa.gov) or Julia Beaty (julia.beaty@maine.edu, 207-866-7262).

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Tina Berger
Director of Communications
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
1050 N. Highland Street, Suite 200A-N
Arlington, VA 22201
703.842.0740
tberger@asmfc.org
www.asmfc.org
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Vision: Sustainably Managing Atlantic Coastal Fisheries

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