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Shad and river herring are anadromous fish that spend the majority of their adult lives at sea, only returning to freshwater in the spring to spawn. Historically, shad and river herring spawned in virtually every river and tributary along the coast. Species of shad and river herring once supported the largest and most important commercial and recreational fisheries along the Atlantic coast. Sadly, since colonial times the blockage of spawning rivers by dams and other impediments combined with habitat degradation and overfishing have severely depleted shad and river herring populations. In 2007, the Commission completed a benchmark stock assessment for American shad that indicated that most stocks are presently depressed or in decline. A benchmark assessment of river herring populations in scheduled to be completed in 2012.

Amendment 1, Technical Addendum 1 and Addendum I to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for American Shad and River Herring are the current management documents for American shad, hickory shad, alewife, and blueback herring. Amendment 1 established a five-year phase out of the ocean-intercept fishery for American shad that closed the fishery by January 1, 2005. In addition, Amendment 1 has required fishing mortality targets for specific American shad in-river fisheries and implemented an aggregate 10-fish daily creel limit in recreational fisheries for American shad and hickory shad, with all jurisdictions maintaining existing or more conservative recreational regulations for river herring. At present, the Commission is developing two amendments to the FMP. One in response to the America shad assessment and the other intended to address declines in river herring stocks by controlling fishing mortality.
<species profile> <habitat fact sheets -- Alewife, Blueback, Am. Shad and Hickory Shad>

     

Contacts

 

Management Plans & Actions

Upcoming Meetings

4/1 (9 AM - 5 PM):
ASMFC Shad & River Herring Technical Committee, Radisson Plaza Lord Baltimore, 20 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, Maryland.

4/10 (10 AM - 3 PM):
ASMFC Shad & River Herring Advisory Panel, Holiday Inn BWI Airport Conference Center, 890 Elkridge Landing Road, Linthicum Heights, Maryland. For more information, please contact Kate Taylor.

 

Annual Reports

 

Pending Actions for Public Input

 

 

  Meeting & Minutes Summaries

Press Releases

ASMFC Approves River Herring Amendment (May 7, 2009)

States Schedule Hearings on Draft River Herring Amendment: Public Comment Accepted Until January 1, 2009 and Supplemental Statement by the Chair of the Shad and River Herring Management Board (September 26, 2008)

ASMFC Shad and River Herring Board Releases Draft River Herring Amendment for Public Comment and Review and Supplemental Statement by the Chair of the Shad and River Herring Management Board (August 21, 2008)

States Schedule Hearings on Shad Public Information Document: Public Comment Accepted Until July 25, 2008 (May 30, 2008)

ASMFC Shad Board Releases American Shad PID for Public Comment and Review (May 19, 2008)

States Schedule Public Hearings on River Herring PID (November 27, 2007)

ASMFC Shad Board Releases River Herring PID for Public Comment and Review (November 9, 2007)

ASMFC Shad Board Initiates Development of Amendment 3 to the Shad & River Herring Plan: Amendment to Address Major Findings of Benchmark Stock Assessment (November 1, 2007)

ASMFC American Shad Stock Assessment Passes Peer Review: Findings Indicate that Most Shad Stocks Are Not Recovering (August 16, 2007)