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Israel backs Trump plan and orders military to prepare for Palestinians to leave Gaza; MS families face hardship as state rejects federal summer food aid again; Advocates: Unfair insurance policies causing DE mental health crisis; Conservationists: Study of Atlantic menhaden critical to preserving species.

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Nationwide protests erupt against federal policies, Indiana's EV infrastructure expansion stalls due to a funding freeze, and Washington state pushes for rent stabilization to combat rising housing costs.

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During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

Northeast anglers: Forage-fish depletion is no red herring

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Tuesday, September 24, 2024   

Anglers along the Atlantic coast want stricter regulations to help improve stocks of Atlantic herring, a forage fish vital to a healthy ocean ecosystem.

The population was once depleted from decades of overfishing and has struggled to recover, affecting the health of larger, prized fish up the food chain.

Rich Hittinger, first vice president of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association, said it hurts local fishermen and the small coastal businesses that support them.

"We see the striped bass and the other fish not showing up in an area," Hittinger observed. "Because the forage fish aren't there."

Anglers have asked the New England Fishery Management Council to reestablish a 12-mile offshore buffer zone for large herring trawlers. Nearly all respondents to a recent public comment period backed further actions to protect the Atlantic herring and other forage fish.

A recent assessment of Atlantic herring stock showed little progress has been made in rebuilding the population. Despite increased management, federal regulators say the likelihood of meeting stock targets for next year is less than 1%.

Jaclyn Higgins, forage fish program manager for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, said she is concerned the science driving harvest restrictions of forage fish has not caught up with what is happening in the ocean.

"We really want to make sure that we use all of the information that we have to move this ecosystem-based management framework forward," Higgins urged. "Improve the models, improve what we have, and not stay stagnant with the status quo."

Higgins noted the Atlantic herring stock currently sits at just 26% of its biomass target. She is hopeful more data collection and research funding will lead to regionally specific and precautionary measures to better protect fisheries and the communities they serve.

Disclosure: The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership contributes to our fund for reporting on Climate Change/Air Quality, Endangered Species and Wildlife, Environment, and Public Lands/Wilderness. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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