Alewife Spawning Survey
The alewife (Alosa psuedoharengus) is a diadromous member of the herring family that spends most of its life at sea and migrates up freshwater rivers to spawn. Alewives along with their close cousins, the blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis), collectively referred to as river herring, are an ecologically and socially important species native to the East Coast of North America from the Canadian Maritime Provinces to North Carolina. These small fish (reaching ~12 inches in length) are valued as bait for striped bass and lobsters, are a regional delicacy in the South, and most importan tly are key forage fish supporting many economically and ecologically important species both at sea and on shore. Because of the nature of Long Island's coastal streams and rivers, the majority of our river herring are alewives.
Alewife populations are greatly reduced throughout their range due to a number of factors including: migration barriers, habitat degredation, poor water quality, and overfishing. Concern over the depleted status of these important fish has prompted national action. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has listed alewives as a “Species of Concern,” reflecting the possibility that they will become endangered in the absence of concerted conservation efforts. In addition, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) recently passed an amendment that will close state river herring fisheries in 2012 in all states that cannot demonstrate a sustainable management plan.
In the spring of 2006, the Environmental Defense Fund and the South Shore Estuary Reserve (SSER) Office began a volunteer observational survey to improve current knowledge of Long Island alewife runs and to help guide restoration efforts. Prior to this survey, there was very little information available on the status of Long Island's alewife populations, with the last formal study examining alewife distribution conducted in 1938. The survey provides information to support a major multi-stakeholder effort to restore diadromous fish populations to the South Shore of Long Island, and to implement recommendations of the SSER Comprehensive Management Plan. Data collected through this study are also useful for evaluating the success of forthcoming fish passage projects by providing baseline information on the location and size of spawning runs, and to prioritize sites for future barrier mitigation projects.
Seatuck joined the partnership in 2008 and has conducted trainings and coordinated the volunteer effort in recent years. The 2009 survey was extended beyond the SSER boundaries to cover more tributaries throughout Long Island. In 2010 we will be looking for volunteers across Suffolk and Nassau counties interested in spending some time during April and May looking for alewives in their local streams and rivers.
The 2010 volunteer workshops have all been completed. If you missed the workshops, but are interested in participating it's not too late. Individuals interested in learning more about the survey and participating in the 2010 effort should
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Brian Kelder or call (631) 581-6908.
Annual Reports:
Alewife Survey Resources
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