PORTLAND, Maine - Federal fishing managers are gathering information to assess the impact of the herring fishery on other species and the ecosystem.
The New England Fishery Management Council is working on an amendment to the herring fishery that it says will account for the role of fishery within the ecosystem. It will also address the issue of localized depletion, which is what happens when fishing takes more fish than can be replaced locally or through migration.
Atlantic herring are used as both bait and food. Federal figures say the fishery was valued at about $31.9 million in 2013. That is the second highest figure since at least 1950.
The council is closing the public comment period about the impact of the herring fishery on Wednesday.