If the New England Fishery Management Council made a mistake by recommending that federal regulators reduce the catch of herring by 45 percent next year, they erred on the side of necessary caution.
The purse seine fishery, which covers an area from Labrador to Cape Hatteras, is the primary source of bait for Maine’s lobster fishermen. It also provides herring for canned sardines and other processed fish products.
NEFMC members voted Tuesday to recommend that the National Marine Fisheries Service reduce the allowable catch from 194,000 metric tons this year to 109,000 tons in 2010.
The herring fishery is a special concern for regulators because, due to its small size and abundance, the fish is a important food source for many other species throughout its life cycle.