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NOAA to Study Proposal to Protect Alewives and Blueback Herring |
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a federal agency that oversees saltwater fisheries, has agreed to spend a year collecting information on alewives and blueback river herring to see if they require federal protection under the Endangered Species Act.
"There are 24 active municipal alewife and blueback fisheries in Maine," said Kate Taylor at Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). Commercial harvesting will continue in Maine for now because the state has submitted a sustainability plan to ASMFC. Most other Atlantic states have banned fishing for alewives and bluebacks in freshwater because the stocks are not at sustainable levels. Read the complete story from The Free Press
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HASTINGS: Time to improve the Endangered Species Act
May 18, 2012 - When the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was signed into law in 1973 by President Nixon, he spoke about the importance of preserving “the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed.” I believe that goal is as important today as it was back then. However, after nearly 40 years, it’s time to take a fresh, honest look at the law and consider whether there are ways it could be improved to do a better job of protecting and recovering species.
