PORTSMOUTH, N.H. - Regional fishing industry regulators have rejected a plan to list river herring and shad as part of the Atlantic herring fishery.
The measure would have put the two species under a federal management plan, with a view to helping with their conservation.
Lori Steele is herring plan coordinator with the New England Fishery Management Council. She told council members there's a lack of useful data on shad and river herring - which includes alewives and blueback herring.
"The problems associated with a lack of science are not likely to be resolved by adding these stocks as stocks in the fishery or by federally managing them, at least not in the short-term," Steele said.
The council voted to revisit the issue within the next three years.
Conservationists were not pleased with the vote. Speaking ahead of the vote, Peter Baker of the Pew Charitable Trusts urged council members not to vote in favor of rejecting the plan.
"We think that the decision you may take today not to protect river herring and shad through federal management would be a poor decision, and that it would show a lack of interest and a of lack commitment, both by this council and the National Marine Fisheries Service, to stop river herring from eventually going extinct."
The council voted to revisit the issue within the next three years.