04-27-2012, 11:05 AM
Shad
Fact Sheet
[ul][li]Apr 23, 2012[/li][li][url "http://www.pewenvironment.org/campaigns/atlantic-herring-campaign/id/8589935300"]Atlantic Herring Campaign[/url][/li][li][/li][/ul]
A Celebrated Species of the Atlantic CoastAmerican shad populations are in serious decline along the Atlantic Coast. By restoring American shad we can protect rivers and coastal ecosystems where shad provide a crucial source of food to other wildlife including striped bass, bluefish, shorebirds, and marine mammals. At the same time, we can revive a favorite sport fish and a prized delicacy.
That Was Then.![[Image: herr-shad-full-basket-150-lw.jpg]](http://www.pewenvironment.org/uploadedImages/PEG/Publications/Fact_Sheet/herr-shad-full-basket-150-lw.jpg)
Shad's historic, cultural, and economic significance earned it the nickname the "Founding Fish." Shad supported one of the most important commercial and recreational fisheries in North America and contributed to the local economy of East Coast river towns. George Washington was a commercial shad fisherman, and during the American Revolutionary War, shad was an important food for the Continental Army.
This Is Now.![[Image: herr-shad-empty-basket-150-lw.jpg]](http://www.pewenvironment.org/uploadedImages/PEG/Publications/Fact_Sheet/herr-shad-empty-basket-150-lw.jpg)
East Coast states will be required to ban all commercial and recreational American shad fishing in state waters by January 2013 unless they can prove fishing is being done sustainably. Overfishing, pollution, and habitat loss have been identified as the primary cause for the shad's decline. A modern threat—the unintended at sea catch of shad—remains unaddressed and unregulated.
![[Image: herr-declining-shad-graph-776-lw.jpg]](http://www.pewenvironment.org/uploadedImages/PEG/Publications/Fact_Sheet/herr-declining-shad-graph-776-lw.jpg)
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Fact Sheet
[ul][li]Apr 23, 2012[/li][li][url "http://www.pewenvironment.org/campaigns/atlantic-herring-campaign/id/8589935300"]Atlantic Herring Campaign[/url][/li][li][/li][/ul]
A Celebrated Species of the Atlantic CoastAmerican shad populations are in serious decline along the Atlantic Coast. By restoring American shad we can protect rivers and coastal ecosystems where shad provide a crucial source of food to other wildlife including striped bass, bluefish, shorebirds, and marine mammals. At the same time, we can revive a favorite sport fish and a prized delicacy.
That Was Then.
Shad's historic, cultural, and economic significance earned it the nickname the "Founding Fish." Shad supported one of the most important commercial and recreational fisheries in North America and contributed to the local economy of East Coast river towns. George Washington was a commercial shad fisherman, and during the American Revolutionary War, shad was an important food for the Continental Army.This Is Now.
East Coast states will be required to ban all commercial and recreational American shad fishing in state waters by January 2013 unless they can prove fishing is being done sustainably. Overfishing, pollution, and habitat loss have been identified as the primary cause for the shad's decline. A modern threat—the unintended at sea catch of shad—remains unaddressed and unregulated.[signature]