Tag Archives: American shad

American shad coming back in Potomac River

WASHINGTON – Dozens of springtime festivals are devoted to this type of fish that  is so endangered, it’s now off limits to fishermen. But in the Potomac River,  the American shad is making a comeback. continued@wtop

Commercial shad fishing season opens two weeks early in Georgetown area

The American shad commercial fishing season will open Jan. 15, 2013 in the  Georgetown area. This is two weeks earlier than the traditional opening in early  February. This change keeps the commercial shad season in compliance with the  Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) American shad sustainable  fishing plan for South Carolina and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)  mandate to reduce by-catch of Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon.
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Shad Resurgence Marks a Cleaner Delaware River

American shad were once so common that East Coast rivers were  described  as being “black” and “boiling” as tens of millions of fish  migrated  upstream each spring to spawn. Today, approximately 98 percent  of the  fish that formed a staple of the Colonial diet have been  depleted. In  rivers once teeming with shad, a daily catch is sometimes  counted in  the single digits………Shad — the name comes from the Latin,  Alosa sapidissima,  meaning “most delicious, or savory, herring” — are just one part of  this larger effort, but a critical part. The fish is considered a marker  for the overall health of the rivers and tribu……..Protecting the Fisheries…….Historical Comparisons…..Midwater Trawling…….Hydraulic Fracturing……..Removing Dams…….Rescuing the Raritan River…….A Holistic Approach……..Climbing the Ladder…..  http://www.wnyc.org/articles/new-jersey-news/2012/sep/24/shad-resurgence-marks-cleaner-delaware-river/