Alewives Anonymous, Inc.

To the Editor:

We have compiled the results of the 2015 alewives (herring) migration as recorded by an electronic fish counter on the Mattapoisett River at Snipatuit Pond in Rochester.

This year’s count of herring in the Mattapoisett River was 42,332. That is approximately 13,000 fish less than the 2014 total of 55,429 which was a 156% increase over 2013. This year’s decrease of 13,000 fish is about 25% less than last year. Due to the very cold weather in March, the counter wasn’t installed until April 6. Evidence of herring being present at Mattapoisett (gulls, cormorants, seals) weren’t seen until the second week in April; therefore, we don’t feel we missed counting many with the three week late install of the counter. Counting conditions were ideal this spring; the counter appears to have performed without errors.

We were not successful in getting an electronic counter to operate correctly on the Sippican River at Leonard’s Pond. The ladder at Leonard’s Pond appeared to function ideally for fish passage even through the latter part of the season with lower water. Comments from recreational boaters indicated that they had seen herring spawning in the upper regions of the pond on a number of occasions. This would tell us that the ladder at Hathaway’s Pond and Leonard’s Pond provided successful access to the spawning area.

The moratorium against the taking or possession of herring from the Mattapoisett River and the Sippican River, as well as many other rivers in Massachusetts, remains in effect. Over the years that the moratorium has been in effect, the herring population in the Mattapoisett River has increased from about 6,000 to just over 55,400 last year. The counting effort will provide the necessary information to manage a future harvest in the Mattapoisett River; however, continued improvements in the counts are needed to support a sustainable fishery plan and to justify an opening.

Once the herring population reaches a point where a sustainable harvest plan can be formulated, filed with Division of Marine Fisheries, and approved, harvesting could be resumed.

Arthur F. Benner

President, Alewives Anonymous, Inc.

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