[AndyS]

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 have significantly declined from historic levels and do not appear to be recovering. A benchmark assessment of river herring populations is scheduled to be completed in 2011.

American and hickory shad are currently managed under Amendment 1, Technical Addendum 1 and Addendum I to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Shad and River Herring. These management documents established a five-year phase out of the ocean-intercept fishery for American shad, with complete closure 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. Alewife and blueback herring (collectively termed river herring) are managed under Amendment 2 to the FMP for Shad and River Herring. The Amendment requires that state and jurisdictions develop sustainable fishery plans in order to maintain a commercial and/or recreational river herring fishery. Fisheries without such plans will be required to close by January 1, 2012. At present, the Commission is developing Amendment 3 to the FMP for Shad and River Herring in response to the recommendations from the 2007 America shad stock assessment.