Working with the Alewife Harvesters of Maine to Assess Harvest Strategies for Sustainable and Expanding River Herring Harvests in Maine
Principal Investigator: Karen Wilson (USM, Environmental Science, and Policy)
Partners: David Hart (UMaine, Senator George Mitchell Center for Sustainable Solutions)
Abstract: River herring (alewife and blueback herring) fisheries are a growing segment of Maine’s fishing and bait industry, and expected to expand as restoration efforts continue to increase access to spawning habitat. In this project, an undergraduate student will work closely with the Alewife Harvesters of Maine, a non-profit organization representing alewife harvesters in the state, to (1) access current harvest strategies for application to new harvest operations, (2) investigate the possibility of new harvest operations in southern Maine, and (3) assist with the monitoring of a spawning run that helps scientists understand the natural year to year variability of river herring spawning runs in a non-harvested system. The student will present results to the Alewife Harvesters of Maine at the Maine Fisherman’s Forum, and present a poster of their work at the University of Maine Darling Marine Center SEA Fellow Summer Science Symposium.