A SHAD DEAL FOR ANGLERS
THE American shad has been on the decline in the Hudson for years, and their numbers have gotten so low that New York is implementing emergency fishing restrictions. Effective immediately, New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation is implementing a catch-and-release-only season for recreational fishing.
Nevertheless, commercial fishing can continue with restrictions to certain types of gear and on times and places where fishing is allowed.
It appears the DEC is putting the burden on recreational anglers
, while the real culprit in the shads’ decline belongs to commercial interests.
The decision by the DEC to eliminate all recreational fishing for American shad in the Hudson River, while continuing to allow the commercial gill net fishery would set a very bad precedent according to Brad Burns, president of Stripers Forever.
“Essentially, the DEC is privatizing the Hudson River shad resource by forcing sport fishermen who want a shad for a meal to buy that fish from a member of a select group of commercial fishermen who have been given the exclusive right to harvest a public resource,” Burns said. “The failure of the DEC to fully address the precipitous decline in the Hudson River shad population, let alone the lack of social fairness in its proposed regulation, is appalling.”
Stripers Forever is a national Internet-based conservation organization which advocates game fish status for wild striped bass by eliminating all market fishing for that species.
“The current Hudson River shad stock collapse makes it clear to us that all directed fishing for shad should be stopped in order to help the population rebound,” Burns said. “We know that recreational fishermen would willingly support such a measure. But the DEC also needs to outlaw the use of gill nets.”
The DECs actions stem from a recent assessment of Hudson River American shad that indicate stocks are at historic lows.
By Ken Moran
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