Category : River Herring
Headwaters of the Pettaquamscutt or Narrow River
Gilbert Stuart's birthplace is the site of a fish ladder
Anadromous Fish Return from the Sea to Spawn
Alewives return to their natal river
Catadromous Species Spawn at Sea and Their Offspring Journey into Freshwater
glass eels
After hatching in the Sargasso Sea, “glass eels” or elvers infiltrate streams, creeks and marshes in Rhode Island
These resilient animals can live over 20 years in our ponds and lakes before heading back to the Sargasso Sea to spawn and die
- American Eel
Herring Return on Full Moon The Full Moon in April Motivates Herring to Move The 2012 herring run started early this year; perhaps due to the unseasonably warm temperatures in March. However, very few herring ran up the river during the last week–I was getting a little nervous. Did the industrial fleet of pair trawlers [...]
The Lion’s Mane Jellyfish is the largest jellyfish in the world
When does Jellyfish season open?
Look at the RI landings
Top 10 seafood landings (by pounds)
In 2010, more pounds of squid were brought ashore in Rhode Island than any other seafood.
Squid (Illex)
Atlantic herring
Little skate
Squid (Loligo)
Mackerel
Scup
12,4231,611
8,279,065
7,616,857
7,446,094
4,355,810
4,300,039
16%
11%
10%
10%
6%
6%
When I was young my family and I ate all of the above, but we also had a steady supply of cod, haddock, flounder, halibut, pollock and even swordfish—the majority of which could be called “local” with a straight face. In the fifty years since, overfishing for these prize species—those that fetched highest ex-vessel prices—has done huge and well-documented damage to both our once-abundant groundfish and the habitats that sustain them.
Now that we’ve pummeled the stocks of bottom dwellers and longlining has dramatically reduced apex-predator stocks like sharks, tuna, marlin, swordfish, and so on, the race is on to catch every last critter that can be consumed. Look at the above list of commercially landed species and consider: In my childhood—heck, even now—most would fall neatly under the “bait” heading….
If we don’t get our regulatory asses in gear, we’ll soon be dining on spider crabs and jellyfish. Speaking of the food chain—its bottom links in particular–did you take your krill oil today?
Hunting for Herring
Yesterday afternoon I went looking for river herring…I wasn’t the only one.
A great blue heron swooped in and kept an eye open for returing alewives. We were both out of luck.
A great blue heron flys through the trees
Last night was a return to winter-like conditions with freezing temperatures that shut down the run of herring. It seems both me and the heron were out of luck.
The Last Few Days Have Been Ducky
This is a great time of year for watching birds, especially ducks. The display of colors is breathtaking and seeing the same ducks return to the same ponds, puddles, creeks, and rivers is a welcomed sight. The quacking in the marsh behind my house is another matter.
Snow forecasted for this afternoon. I wonder where these river herring are right now? I will project that the first river herring will be seen the second week of March at Gilbert Stuarts birthplace and museum.
When will the river herring return to Bissel Cove this year? This photo was taken during an early morning outing last fall. This area has a very steady flow of water and it didn’t freeze up very much this past winter. The big question is when will the herring first show up this year? How [...]