Valuable information is gathered from the program such as:
Does the monitoring program provide information for recreational fisheries?
American shad and river herring are important for trophic and ecological reasons. The abundance of juveniles is closely linked to water quality and the availability of good fish habitat. Young shad and river herring constitute an important prey group for striped bass and other recreationally important species in the Chesapeake Bay. Monitoring changes in abundance of key species is essential for understanding community dynamics.
American shad fight well when angled. Recreational fishing is popular in other states where fishing bans do not exist. Further development of a shad fishery could constitute an important opportunity to expand or restore recreational fishing opportunities.
Until the moratorium took effect in 2012, river herring were recreationally harvested in Virginia's rivers. Lack of scientific data on the status of river herring stocks has been cited as a contributing factor for the inability to determine the sustainability of the stocks in Virginia, which led to the moratorium. This study addresses that shortcoming with the goal of informing management agencies for the objective of rebuilding river herring stocks to lift the moratorium.
The study will characterize the bycatch associated with commercial fisheries for American shad and river herring in Virginia's rivers. This is important for determining the impact of reopened commercial fisheries for shad and river herring on other recreationally important species, especially striped bass, as well as protected species such as Atlantic sturgeon.
